


Take a Bow

by Crazyonehere



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Lapis Lazuli/Peridot (Steven Universe), F/F, Hopefully Humor, Swearing, likely graphic descriptions of violence, rating is m just in case
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2019-09-04 23:04:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 62,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16798816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyonehere/pseuds/Crazyonehere
Summary: I was watching Arrow when I thought about this idea.  Kind of spiraled from there.The Crystal Gems, hero group and family.  What happens when they move from Beach City to Empire City and run into the resident vigilante?  How will they handle going from small town drug dealers to professional killers?  Let's find out!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey. I'm not going to have a regular updating schedule, but I'll try to publish a new chapter every week or so. Might be more often at times. Depends on how much I've written out before hand. Feel free to leave kudos and comment. I'm always up for constructive criticism, so feel free to leave that too. Enjoy!

Lapis sighed heavily, swinging her legs lazily from where she sat on the edge of the roof. “I thought things were supposed to be more exciting in the big city. If anything, this is more boring than patrols in Beach City,” she grumbled. The Crystal Gems, a group of vigilante heroes, were currently staking out one Earl Buckner. Multi-millionaire and corrupt asshole responsible for the deaths of two families and the loss of over a dozen people’s homes.

Earl Buckner had his fingers in a lot of pies but was most well-known as the owner of a large construction company, though it was more of an empire. He often ordered his men to cut corners and ignore safety codes. Faulty wiring had caused fires in several homes his company built, but his army of lawyers made it difficult to get to him. Rose Quartz Universe was the newest attorney to go after him. However, she was having a difficult time wading through the river of red tape surrounding his business dealings. That’s where the Crystal Gems came in. Their goal was to observe and get as much information as possible. Much to Lapis and Amethyst’s chagrin, this meant lots of waiting. 

“I know right? When are we going to get to the action?” Amethyst complained. Lapis shared a long-suffering look with the other vigilante. Her companion was shorter than Lapis, only about five-foot-two. However, the fiery Latina more than made up for it with her attitude. The girl’s confidence in herself sometimes made her seem much taller than she was. She had long, lavender hair, bright purple eyes, and tan skin. She’s also a mischievous little shit that loved getting on people’s nerves. But they loved her anyway.

Her vigilante persona was Purple Puma. Appropriate, given it was her favorite thing to shapeshift into during combat. Amethyst could change into pretty much anything she could imagine. An odd side effect of her powers was that anything she shapeshifted into turned purple. Lapis still wasn’t sure why that happened, but Amethyst seemed to like it. It was her favorite color after all. She had the most casual vigilante suit of the four young woman. She wore black leggings, white boots and a purple hoodie. A purple domino mask, with lenses covering her easily recognizable eyes, rested on her face. The knees of her leggings sported white stars, the signature symbol of the Crystal Gems.

Lapis could still remember the first time she met Amethyst. All of the Crystal Gems were mutants, created by the villainous group Nemesis twenty one years ago. They were created with the intention of being living weapons, trained from basically birth to harness their powers and use them to fight. They were freed during an FBI raid on Nemesis’ headquarters ten years ago. That was the first time Lapis had actually met the others, Amethyst being the first. They’d all been kept in separate cages until then. Luckily for them, the FBI was not prepared to contain four rowdy mutants and they quickly broke free. Then they met Rose, who took them in, and the rest is history.

“Be patient. We can’t just go barreling in there. Buckner will have professionally trained bodyguards, which, need I remind you, we’ve never gone up against before. We need to be prepared! We need to know how many there are, what security systems they have, what exits are available…” Pearl trailed off mid-lecture, distracted by something on her tablet. Lapis breathed out a quiet sigh of relief. She loved Pearl, but she was one of the most anal-retentive people she’d ever met. And one of the most long-winded when she got into lecture mode.

Pearl was about the same height as Lapis, around five-foot-eight. She had sky-blue eyes and short, peach-colored hair. She had a dancer’s build, tall and lean, but muscular. Her vigilante name, Supernova, was picked out because of her love of space. Pearl was very intelligent and acts as the team’s hacker. Oh, and she also had the abilities to shoot lasers out of her hands or eyes. The white-blue lasers could vary in intensity, depending on Pearl’s whims. She could use low-powered beams to knock out opponents, or high-powered beams strong enough to melt steel. 

Her vigilante costume consisted of an aqua blue bodysuit. Under the body suit, she wore bullet and stab-proof armor. It covered her legs, arms, and torso. Pink boots covered her feet and a bright pink star shown on her chest. Her hands were covered with pink gloves as well. Instead of a domino mask, Pearl sported a pink and aqua helmet. A pink colored visor protected and hid her eyes. It also had night and heat vision settings built in.

“Pearl’s right. We need more information before we’ll be ready to move,” the last member of their group chimed in. At six feet, Garnet towered over the rest of the Crystal Gems (and most other people as well). The mocha skinned girl had a more muscular build than the rest of the vigilante group. She also had an afro and heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one brown. Garnet was a quiet soul, often appearing very stoic and stern. She can also be very, very scary if you threaten someone she loves. However, she expresses undying loyalty to those lucky enough to win her trust and love.

Her vigilante name was Titan, given to her by Amethyst. Lapis remembers that it was inspired by a game she played called Deity of Battle. She joked that Garnet would have pwned the Titan with her super strength. While every mutant has more strength than even the strongest human, Garnet’s abilities go to the extreme. As evidenced by the fact that she can (and has) juggled cars like they weighed nothing. She was nigh-on invulnerable, as bullets bounce off her like harmless flies and knives tend to snap like twigs if used against her. There are alien weapons that are able to affect her, but those are few and far between.

Garnet’s hero getup lacks the armor, as it would be redundant. She did also wear a bodysuit. Her suit was split vertically in half color-wise. Her left side was a deep eggplant purple, whereas he right side was a more blue-violet color. Magenta colored gloves cover her hands. On the backs of her gloves have yellow stars. Another off-centered, magenta star covers her chest and down her right side. She also had a mask the same colors as her bodysuit. Lenses protected her eyes and offered the same night and heat vision capabilities as Pearl’s helmet.

Lapis herself was about five-foot-eight. She had short, blue hair and dark blue eyes. The Hawaiian girl was built like a swimmer. Her vigilante name, Leviathan, comes from her ability to generate and manipulate water. She can turn water into ice or steam. This means she can use it to travel or attack, trap or blind enemies. Her hero suit was yet another bodysuit. Like Pearl, she had armor under her dark blue bodysuit. White boots and gloves covered her feet and hands. A light blue star sits proudly over her lower chest/upper abdomen. A dark blue helmet with light blue details and visor sits on her head. Her helmet contains the same technological upgrades as Pearl’s.

Which was actually rather useful for staking out Buckner’s building. The small skyscraper was directly across from them. Their position on the roof allowed them to gather more information on the security posted around the building. Being so close also allowed Pearl to start hacking into their security systems to see what they were up against. It wouldn’t do much good to have the police ruining their fun before they got what they needed.

The night vision also gave her a great view of someone sneaking up behind a guard posted at the corner of the building. “Uh, guys...?” she said uncertainly, watching the mystery person quickly and efficiently take down the guard.

“Seriously, I say we just go in there and bust some heads! We can totally handle this!” Lapis heard Amethyst say. She watched the mystery person take down two guards at once, using her helmet’s zoom function just in time to see them knock the guards upside the head with an unknown weapon.

“Guys…”

“We’re waiting Amethyst. That’s an order.” Garnet replied sternly, unintentionally cutting across Lapis in the process. 

“This is harder than it looks, you know. You guys are being extremely distracting!” Pearl grumbled, furiously typing away.

“Guys!” Lapis said, adjusting her visor back to normal. She stood up and turned to face her teammates. “If I can have your attention for two seconds, I could tell you about the mystery person that just took out all the guards outside.”

“What?!” Her teammates were immediately at her side, looking down at Buckner’s building. Lapis could now hear the sound of gunshots coming from inside. “Move out! But be careful.” Garnet said, jumping off the edge of the building. Lapis offered Pearl a ride down using wings she made from water. She glared at Amethyst as she swooped by as an owl, close enough that her wing clipped Lapis’ cheek. _Little bugger,_ she thought, grumbling to herself. 

Once on the ground the group quickly, but carefully moved into the building. Lapis hesitated in the doorway as she saw the carnage inside. Bullet holes littered the walls of the lobby. Several men laid on the ground. A quick check for pulses revealed they were all battered, but alive. Lapis pursed her lips as she caught sight of a few arrows sticking out of the downed men, the green fletching on their ends as eye catching as it was telling. From what she could see, Lapis figured the men would survive their injuries. All of the shots were made to non-vital areas.

Only one person used green fetched arrows and had the skill to shoot multiple targets, while being shot, without killing any. Lapis and her family had only moved to Empire City two months ago. A couple months before that, a rogue vigilante appeared in the city. The person was known as Archer, a name given to them by the media. Archer was known to strike fast and hard. They were not shy about leaving a trail of beat up and pin cushioned bodies in their wake, though they had never killed anyone. Guess I know what the unknown weapon is now. She smacked them in the face with a bow! Lapis thought, wincing in sympathy.

Lapis followed the others as they ran to the elevator. Carefully stepping around the two laid out guards in there, Lapis slapped the button for the top floor. She just hoped the rogue didn’t have a shoot first, ask questions later attitude. Her aspirations for the future had never really included being shish kabobbed.

Skidding to a stop in front of the open doors to Buckner’s office, Lapis gasped. Five guards were strewn around the office, all unconscious. She arrived just in time to watch as Archer released an arrow. It soared through the air before slamming into the pistol Buckner was pointing at the vigilante’s face. He didn’t even have enough time to register the pain before another arrow was soaring through the air, impaling the palm of his hand and pinning him to the wall. Lapis grimaced as Buckner screamed in pain and fear. One last arrow found itself buried in Buckner’s thigh. Lapis didn’t think his screams could get any louder. She was wrong.

“That’s enough!” she heard Garnet shout. She was glad the taller Gem had spoken up. Lapis couldn’t find her own voice in that moment. She watched as Garnet stalked towards Archer. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Giving this piece of trash a small taste of the pain he’s caused,” a modulated voice replied. Lapis took the opportunity to study Archer as they turned to face Garnet. The first thing she noticed was how short they were. They were about Amethyst’s height. Despite this, Archer seemed largely unconcerned about the large woman towering over her. They had a black helmet on their head with a light green, v-shaped visor. It also had black, bat ear spikes coming from the top of the helmet. The area where their mouth would be was also green. They wore a black and green suit. The chest, lower arms, belt and boots were a darker green. The legs, upper arms and shoulders were black. On their hands were black gloves with green fingers. A green scarf was wrapped around their neck. Several fletchettes were attached to their forearms. They carried a large black and green recurve bow and a green quiver rested on their back, about half full of arrows.

Lapis watched as Archer ignored Garnet, approaching Buckner. The man whimpered, frantically trying to remove the arrow from the wall. It didn’t budge. “Please, please stop! You want money, right? Name your price! I’ll give you whatever you want! Please!” he begged, tears streaming down his face. As Lapis and the others moved to back up Garnet, she couldn’t help but feel bad for the man. Yes, he killed people and ruined lives. But hearing someone begging for their life made her skin crawl. 

Archer apparently didn’t have as much sympathy. They rounded the large desk to stand in front of Buckner. Lapis saw them reach into their belt and sneak a little ball onto Buckner’s desk. They crossed their arms and casually leaned back against the desk, blocking Buckner’s view of the object. “I’ve already given you the chance to do the right thing. You decided money was worth more than lives. Now, you’ll spend the rest of yours rotting behind bars. A rat stuck in a cage. A fitting end for scum like you.”

“You don’t have any proof. I’m an innocent man! Please, let me go.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Archer snapped. Lapis flinched as a loud crack sounded through the room, bow meeting face in a painful collision. Archer then grabbed Buckner by the neck, slamming him back against the wall. His head smacked against it with a sickening _thwack_. “You are a blight on this city. One I intend to get rid of.” 

Lapis heard Pearl gasp beside her. She turned to look at the peach-haired girl, before following her gaze to Buckner’s desk. Her jaw dropped. Four little legs sprouted from the small teal ball Archer put on Buckner’s desk. It scuttled up to his computer. A hatched opened, unleashing a USB cord that plugged into Buckner’s personal computer. Lapis had never seen anything like it.

Lapis head snapped to look out the window as she heard sirens. Seeing the flashing red and blue lights, she cursed, looking at Garnet. “What now?” she asked.

Buckner relaxed, relief on his face. “Looks like you’re the one who’s going to rot in jail.” he said. Though he tried to be smug, his voice still came out high-pitched and strained. Lapis almost laughed as Archer kneed him in the groin, causing him to squeal. Her sympathy drained when she watched him go from begging to gloating at the flip of a switch, his fake remorse washing away quickly at the idea of being rescued. _Would have been safer to gloat after Archer left._

Lapis saw Archer’s little robot detach from the computer. Archer crossed their arms behind their back and leaned forward, bringing their face closer to Buckner’s. The mysterious vigilante opened one of their hands, allowing the little robot to scuttle into their open palm. They snuck it back into their belt. “Not quite,” Lapis heard the modulated voice say, “You’ll be seeing me again.” With one last knee to the crotch, she brought her bow up, firing an arrow at the glass window.

Lapis covered her eyes as a small explosion knocked out the glass. Her ears rang afterwards. Shaking her head, she recovered in time to see Archer approach the newly made exit, firing another arrow. This one had a string attached to it. One more arrow was fired into the opposite wall, Pearl yelping as it narrowly missed her head.

“Watch it!” “A little warning would have been nice!” Pearl and Lapis yelled simultaneously.

“Next time, think of the risks before barging in and interrupting someone else’s operation,” Archer replied. “Now, if you don’t want to get caught, I suggest you follow me.” 

“Show off.” Lapis grumbled, watching them zipline out the broken window. 

“Garnet? Should we…?” Pearl asked, gesturing at the escaping vigilante. 

Garnet nodded. “Come on,” she said. Pearl and Garnet both grabbed the zipline, following the mystery person. Lapis and Amethyst flew after them. 

They ended up in a parking garage across from Buckner’s building. Archer was waiting for them at the end of the zipline. As soon as they all landed safely, Archer cut the line, preventing anyone from following them. Not that they left anyone capable of following. “This way.” Archer said, jogging away. A look at Garnet told Lapis they were going to continue following them.

Archer led them out of the garage and through a maze of alleys. Once the sirens were just a faint noise on the horizon, they stopped. Archer turned to face Garnet. “This is where we part ways,” they said. “In the future, I would appreciate it if you would stay out of my way. I don’t need a bunch of rookies following me around.” Archer turned to walk away.

“Wait!” Pearl said. “What did you take from Buckner’s computer?”

“And what do you mean ‘rookies’?” Amethyst added, outraged. To be honest, Lapis felt offended as well.

“Not that it is any of your business, but I grabbed some evidence and a few other things. They’ll find their way to the right people and Buckner will be behind bars where he belongs.” Archer replied. “And you honestly think I wouldn’t keep tabs on a new group of vigilantes in my town? I’ve been observing you. I’ve watched you fight, and you are obviously not trained very well. You also rely on your powers too much. Those abilities have drawbacks. Drawbacks that could mean the difference between life and death in the field. Some food for thought.”

Archer tossed some pellets on the ground. Lapis’ eyes widened in surprise as smoke poured out of the pellets with a hissing sound. Lapis coughed, eyes burning as the smoke cleared. Of course, Archer was gone. As Lapis watched her teammates recover, still coughing, she made a mental note to ask Pearl if she could add filters for gas and smoke to their helmets. _When I find out who that is, I’m kicking their ass for this,_ she mentally grumbled. After they recovered, Garnet led them off into the night to finish their patrol. Maybe they could turn this disaster of a night around and make up for their wasted stake-out time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed the age of everybody and I fixed it in Chapter 1. But for those of you who don't feel like going back and skimming the whole chapter for that little detail, I changed their ages from 18 to 21. Them being a little older works better for my timeline. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy the new chapter!

Steven was secretly extremely manipulative. Lapis was convinced this was fact and that the others just couldn’t see it past his innocent façade. It made her feel better to tell herself that even if she did fall for it again and again, she at least knew she was being played. She was just glad that he was kind-hearted enough and innocent enough to use these powers for good. He was more likely to trick you into getting ice cream or watching Crying Breakfast Friends with him than he was to convince you to give him your credit card or social security number. Lapis believed whole-heartedly that he could do just that if he used his puppy dog eyes hard enough. 

Today, he’d managed to convince Rose to spend the day with him, as well as the rest of the Crystal Gems. This was easier said than done since Rose was working hard to put Buckner in jail and the other Crystal Gems held their days before university started sacred. However, Rose was anonymously sent enough evidence to bury Buckner alive this morning. Not only that, but she’d received several calls from her clients that said they’d mysteriously had very large sums of money deposited into their bank accounts. With most of her work suddenly done for her (and Buckner’s arrest slapped across every news station after similar evidence anonymously found its way to the police), she easily fell victim to Steven’s puppy eyes. As for the Crystal Gems, well…Steven got that deadly pout from somewhere and being faced with double puppy eyes was just too much. 

Lapis and the others were almost ready to walk out the door when Rose got a call. It was from a representative of Diamond Corp, who she was building a case against for a different client. Lapis had watched as Steven’s face fell when Rose put the phone on speaker. The representative explained that they wanted to talk to her ASAP about the case, apparently having evidence they wanted to share with her. Before anyone could stop him, Steven had spoken up, explaining that they had plans for the day and asking if there was any way they could meet at another time. 

Rose had immediately tried to apologize. Even if she was legally trying to serve justice against the company, Lapis knew it was important Rose kept a professional reputation. Snobby assholes had tried to use that against her many times to make her look incompetent. Every time they tried, she’d given them a verbal smackdown, but it was best to avoid such situations entirely. Luckily, the young woman on the other side of the line seemed mostly amused rather than annoyed. Lapis watched as she and Steven hashed out a compromise that they could all come to the Diamond’s house for a quick meeting and leave from there. She wondered how this became her life. 

When they got to the Diamond’s house, she also wondered how the definition that fit their, admittedly large, six-bedroom place could also be used to describe the gigantic mansion that they found themselves standing in front of. Something about that didn’t seem to match up. There was even a staff member that met them outside the house and opened their car doors for them. He was a nice man named Jacob and immediately gained Lapis’ approval when he offered Steven a friendly fist bump. 

The stuffy old butler that greeted them at the door was more annoying. Lapis was afraid she’d see the boogers in his nose if he stuck it any higher. He led them to a sitting room and instructed them to wait for “Miss Diamond” with an aura of disapproval that seemed to radiate around him. Lapis was almost convinced that she could reach out and touch it. She plopped herself onto one of the couches as gracelessly as possible with the sole purpose of getting under the prick’s skin. If the look of contempt he shot her was any indication, she succeeded. 

“Geoffrey, I hope you are showing our guests the utmost respect they deserve. I’d hate to think of the shame it would bring the Diamond name if it got out that our hospitality was less than stellar,” a voice said. On the surface, the tone was cheerful, but there was a layer of disapproval and reprimand underneath. Lapis smirked as Geoffrey jumped guiltily, stuttering some excuse to the girl that had entered before taking his leave with his tail between his legs. 

Turning her attention to the young woman, the first thing she noticed was her eyes. Her very bright green eyes, complimented by the green-framed glasses that sat on her noise. She was short, about five-foot-three and had short blonde hair. Short, gravity-defying blonde hair that seemed to stick out in every direction. However, instead of looking frumpy, it looked purposely messy. She had pale skin and her face was dotted with freckles. Overall, she was adorable. And kind of hot, in a nerdy way. A disastrously wonderful combination. 

The young woman made Lapis feel underdressed. She was wearing a white, long-sleeved button-up shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and a black waist coat, which had a gold chain hanging from the pocket. Black dress pants and dress shoes covered her lower half. A black tie finished the look. 

Standing slightly behind her was a large woman. Lapis thought she might even be taller than Garnet. She was definitely bulkier than Garnet, with broad shoulders, muscular arms and chest, and a strong jaw. She had dark skin and her eyes were almost black. Probably the most notable detail was her rainbow-colored dreadlocks. She was dressed in a black suit and had her arms crossed. She was carefully surveying the room and its inhabitants. Lapis would bet the five hundred bucks she made from her last painting that she was the young woman’s body guard. 

The blonde hair-ed girl looked vaguely amused as the stuck-up butler shuffled past her. As she turned back to face the room full of strangers, she adopted an easy, charming smile. “You must be the Universes. May I say, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Peridot Diamond.” Peridot POV 

Peridot smiled at the people gathered in her living room, praying this didn’t turn awkward. She just wanted to get this over with so justice could be served and she could go on with her day. She approached the large, pink-haired woman who she knew was Rose Quartz in the courtroom. Mrs. Universe towered over Peridot, being about six feet and two inches tall. Peridot did not let this intimidate her, however. She simply smiled wider at the woman and offered her hand. 

Thankfully, Mrs. Universe smiled back and shook her hand. The large woman had a reputation for being reasonable, but after apparently interrupting their plans, Peridot was worried she’d have to deal with a grumpy, annoyed lawyer. “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Diamond. Please feel free to call me Rose. Allow me to introduce you to my children. This is Steven, Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet and Lapis.” 

Peridot made sure to pay close attention to the names, offering a polite smile to Rose’s (many) children. She paused on the last child introduced. The girl had shockingly bright blue hair and eyes and tan skin. Peridot is a little ashamed to admit that the girl made her a bit flustered. She could physically, verbally and intellectually tear down a rival businessman or stuck-up, sexist, know-it-all investor; however, she tended to become a stuttering mess around beautiful girls. Peridot made a mental note to avoid being alone with the gorgeous bluenette. 

“Then please, call me Peridot. I’d make a comment about Miss Diamond being my mother, but I like to avoid clichés when I can,” she replied easily. She turned her attention to the short boy next to Rose (although, if she was honest with herself, she’d admit he was only slightly shorter that herself). He had curly black hair and the same dark eyes his mother sported. He had a stocky build and wide, open grin. As he looked at Peridot, she couldn’t help but think that his eyes seemed to be shining. 

“You must be Steven. I believe we’ve already talked. I guess I should thank you for agreeing to meet with me today,” Peridot said wryly, grinning. The small boy just grinned back, his smile getting impossibly wider. “If you guys would like, you can wait in the entertainment room while Rose and I talk. You’re more than welcome to help yourself to anything in there. There are books, TV, magazines and video games. I just ask that you give my gaming equipment the respect it deserves and not break one of my controllers in a fit of gaming rage. I’m currently making my way through Shadow Spirits 3 and I haven’t snapped my controller in half yet. I’m starting to believe it’s bringing me good luck.” 

“Yes! Sold!” Amethyst shouted in excitement. Peridot noticed Lapis and Steven perk up as well. Garnet and Pearl offered polite, indulgent smiles. 

“Excellent. My bodyguard, Bismuth, will be more than happy to escort you there,” Peridot replied, gesturing to the large woman currently leaning against the doorway behind her. 

“No, I won’t. My job is to guard you. And I take my job very seriously,” Bismuth immediately replied. 

Peridot rolled her eyes. “I’m going to be sitting in this room the whole time. And I highly doubt I’ll annoy the most professional lawyer in town enough where she’ll commit assault. I’ll be fine. Also, I don’t trust that cloddy butler to not stick his foot in his mouth. I can’t wait until Barnaby returns with Mother,” she said. Turning to address the group, she added, “Our normal butler is much more pleasant. Unfortunately, Mother insisted on taking him with her when she left for her business trip.” 

“It’s not her I’m worried about, Tiny. I’m more concerned about you giving me the slip. Again,” Bismuth said, narrowing her eyes. 

“I hardly ever do that anymore. Only to keep you on your toes.” Peridot smirked at her friend, her tone teasing. She raised her right hand, three fingers pointed in the air. “I promise, I’ll be right here when you get back.” Bismuth narrowed her eyes further and Peridot gave a long-suffering sigh. “And I will not leave this room in the interim.” 

Bismuth nodded. “Thank you.” She raised herself up to her full height, turning to face their guests. “If you’ll follow me.” 

Peridot smirked in amusement as Steven skipped up to stand next to Bismuth, reaching out to hold her hand. He immediately began excitedly talking her ear off about their apparent plans and pulled her out of the room like he was the one who knew where he was going. She turned back in time to see Rose’s fond smile as she watched her rag tag group of children leave, Amethyst joining Steven in overwhelming poor Bismuth. 

The blonde smiled and gestured for Rose to sit on the couch across from her. She politely waited for her guest to sit before taking her own seat. “I must admit, I’m surprised that you are the representative I’m meeting with. You’re a little young to be running a company, aren’t you?” Rose asked. 

Peridot scratched her nose sheepishly. “Yes, well, I don’t actually run the company. Diamond Corp. is still run by my mother, Yellow Diamond, and her sisters. I am merely filling in for my mother during her absence, and really just for this meeting. She has someone else in charge of handling the company while she’s gone. She and my aunts are on an urgent overseas business trip.” 

Rose nodded, growing serious. “I see. You said you wanted to talk about the case. That you had some evidence and details for me?” 

“Yes. I talked to Mr. Finley over the phone early today and gave him the same explanation I’m going to give you. I’ve also been instructed by my mother to let you know that the Diamond family will personally be covering Mr. Finley’s legal and medical bills. He will also be on paid leave until he recovers from the incident that happened in the lab. Of course, you can confirm all of this with him. I also asked you to come here to tell you that our company did not approve of the experiments that Mr. Rhodes was conducting. In fact, he’d been strictly forbidden from using company time and resources to continue that research.” 

Rose raised her eyebrows, gesturing for Peridot to continue. “Mr. Rhodes was researching a new power source. However, the energy source he was working on was extremely unstable. Once he showed my mother his plans, she immediately rejected his request for funding. He then proceeded to steal company funds and equipment to continue his experiments. Which eventually lead to Mr. Finley’s accident.” 

Peridot leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and clasping her hands together. “I’m going to be honest with you. You and Mr. Finley could continue to try to pursue legal action against the company. But that would be a waste of everyone’s time and money. I’m not telling you this as some rich, corrupt monster. If the company was responsible, my mother would be more than willing to own up to it and face whatever legal repercussions there were. She’s always been that way. However, that simply isn’t the case. 

“Instead, Diamond Corp. is more than willing to help you and Mr. Finley take legal action against Rhodes and get the justice he deserves.” Peridot pulled a flash drive out of her pocket, sliding it across the table to sit in front of Rose. “This USB contains all the evidence you need to send Rhodes away for a long, long time. Emails, records of withdrawing company funds, video of him stealing company equipment, documents proving that his requests regarding the experiment were denied. The emails also show that he purposely chose Mr. Finley to assist him in the hopes of killing or injuring him if the experiment did fail. He was convinced it wouldn’t, but he figured if it did, he could get rid of a brilliant scientist that he was afraid would steel his job. 

“To be entirely honest, none of this would have happened if my mother had been here. Rhodes didn’t even try to cover his tracks. He even used company computers and email accounts. He took advantage of the fact that she wasn’t here, and her temporary replacement was more concerned with gloating about his newfound power than watching the employees.” 

“Let me guess, I can only have this if I drop the lawsuit against Diamond Corp?” Rose asked, tapping the thumb drive to emphasize her point. 

Peridot shrugged, holding her arms out as a sign she had nothing to hide. “Actually, no. You may have that even if you feel it’s pertinent to continue the lawsuit against Diamond Corp. This is a no-strings-attached offer of help. My family just wants to see justice done for Mr. Finley.” 

Rose frowned, and Peridot tried not to squirm as she narrowed her eyes, studying the younger girl. “Why now? We’ve been preparing a case against Diamond Corp. for almost two weeks. Why offer help now?” 

Peridot gave the woman a small, sad smile. “Sometimes, people who have money and power can forget to look past themselves to see the struggle of others. Like I said, I will be honest. My mother was not very concerned with offering aid immediately. She was more focused on closing the deal she’s been negotiating for months and figured this was something she could deal with when she got back. Then she saw Mr. Finley’s father on TV. 

“You see, about three and a half years ago, I was kidnapped and left for dead on an isolated island. My mother knows what it is like to know your child is suffering and feel helpless to aid them. To have to rely on others to find justice for you. I only returned six months ago, so those wounds are still fresh. She sympathized with Mr. Finley’s parents and became determined to help. She brought me up to speed on the situation and asked me to gather every bit of evidence I could and speak to you on her behalf.” 

Rose’s eyes softened as she heard Peridot’s story. Peridot felt a nauseous feeling in her stomach as she saw the sympathy in Rose’s eyes. She was her mother’s daughter after all, and she wouldn’t tolerate anyone looking at her with pity. She slapped her thighs, rising from the couch. “Well, that’s the gist of the situation. I wanted to thank you for allowing me a chance to explain. That being said, unless you have questions, I believe I have taken up enough of your time for one day. I know for a fact that you and your family have a busy day ahead of you. I’d better let you go before I have to face Steven’s wrath.” Peridot said jokingly, trying to break up some of the tension of the moment. 

The larger woman indulged her subject change, rising as well. “I’ll let you know if I have any questions. I’m not going to promise anything regarding the lawsuit, but I can say that I will keep you informed about what actions Mr. Finley and I decide to take.” 

Peridot nodded, reaching out to shake Rose’s hand. “That sounds more than fair. And, of course, if you have any questions or need any help, please feel free to let me know.” The blonde gestured for Rose to follow her. She led her through the house, ending up at the entertainment room. As Peridot walked in, she smirked at the scene in front of her. 

Steven and Amethyst were currently playing a racing game, both leaning to the left as their virtual cars drifted through a turn. Lapis was sitting next to them watching them play. She had one leg crossed over the other, her arm resting on the couch and her chin resting on her hand. She was trying her hardest to appear uninterested, but as Peridot watched, she saw the smallest hint of a smile cross the girl’s lips as Steven squeezed past Amethyst’s car at the last second, winning the race. Pearl was sitting in a recliner, flipping through, to Peridot’s surprise, a mechanical engineering book. Peridot figured she would be more of the fashion magazine type. Garnet was sitting in the love seat, casually flipping through one of Peridot’s many video game magazines. 

After Rose gathered her children (and Bismuth glared at Peridot for leaving the sitting room after she promised not to), they led the Universe family back to the front door. “Again, it was a pleasure to meet all of you.” Peridot said, smiling politely. She once again shook Rose’s hand. She also gave Steven a high-five and offered a polite wave to the rest of the family. 

“It was nice to meet you, Peridot. I truly hope we will meet again.” Rose replied, smiling softly at the young woman. 

“Don’t worry. You’ll see me around,” Peridot claimed confidently, smirking knowingly. She waved goodbye as the Universe family left. “Probably much sooner than you think.”


	3. Chapter 3

Lapis had kind of assumed that they would not run into Archer again for a while. Maybe it was a little naive of her, but she figured Empire City was rather large. Surely, they would patrol different areas from the rouge archer. And for the first few days, she was right. They didn’t see any sign of the other vigilante. However, five days after they ran into the green-clad hero, they crossed paths again. And to be honest, she was glad they had. 

Their patrol started off rather normal. They stopped a couple robberies, busted a few small time drug dealers and even gave some well-deserved comeuppance to a guy who thought it was a good idea to knock around his now ex-girlfriend. Overall, not a bad night’s work. Then they ran across an arm’s deal going down in an empty warehouse. More like, they stumbled across it. Really, it was just bad luck. Though if that bad luck was for the bad guys or the Crystal Gems was yet to be determined. 

Lapis ducked back behind the crate she was using for cover just as the corner of it was blown off by a bright red laser blast. Of course, it had to be alien weapons. _Why can’t Empire City’s bad guys take a page out of Beach City’s? The worst they had was a dull pocket knife. Maybe a BB-gun if they were feeling particularly brave _, Lapis thought, arms covering her head as more gun fire peppered over her.__

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____

She glanced over to check on the injured Amethyst. Luckily, it had nothing to do with alien weapons. They hadn’t even meant to check this warehouse in the first place. They were running over the roof while on patrol. Amethyst had been unfortunate enough to step on a particularly weak part of the roof. She fell through the newly-made hole and into the middle of the arms deal. It was only thanks to her teammates’ quick thinking and reflexes that she hadn’t gotten blasted on the spot. The leader managed to jump down and grab Amethyst, with Lapis and Pearl providing cover fire. 

While Amethyst had narrowly avoided being turned into swiss cheese, she had landed on her arm wrong. Based on the distinct _crack!_ that accompanied the fall, Lapis guessed she’d broken something on the way down. Based on where Amethyst was currently holding currently clutching her forearm, face fixed in a firm grimace, she felt confident guessing it was her ulna or radius. 

Lapis turned back to the problem at hand. Garnet and Amethyst were the close-range fighters, which left them at a huge disadvantage in this situation. _Of course it had to be alien guns. If these idiots had just kept to normal weapons, Garnet would be able to charge in no problem and we could back her up. _She flinched as another beam collided against the wall in front of them, the bright light momentarily blinding her. As it was, Lapis and Pearl specialized in mid- to long-range fighting, so it was up to them to get the Crystal Gems out of this mess. The problem was that there were just so many goons shooting at them. And these particular goons were smart, firing in two groups, so when one group needed to reload, the other continued battering the heros.__

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____

Lapis looked over to Garnet again. “What’s the plan?” she asked. 

“I think there are too many to bring down. Should we just focus on retreating?” Pearl added from her place on the other side of Garnet. The larger Gem was in the middle, Amethyst still cradled bridal style in her arms. 

Garnet nodded in agreement. “There’s too many for us to apprehend, even if we weren’t a man down. We retreat for now. We’ll come back for them another day.” 

Pearl and Lapis nodded. Both moved to return fire. Lapis flung spikes of ice at the armed men, making sure that they were dull enough to not cause too much damage if/when they landed a hit. Pearl fired lasers at their enemies, also making sure to hold back enough to where they wouldn’t cause any permanent damage. She varied her fire between long, large beams and short bursts. Unfortunately, the same crates that were providing cover for them were doing the same for their enemies. It was hard to get off a clear shot. 

Garnet made her move, using the renewed fire as cover to try to make a break for the door. However, their enemies must have anticipated their move, because they shifted fire to the two retreating Gems. Even worse, either there was another team that was waiting for them to try to make a move, or they decided to throw away their staggered fire plan because the amount of projectiles increased, nearly doubling. Lapis barely had enough time to erect a wall of ice between them and the gunfire. The ice shattered as the lasers exploded against it. Garnet was thrown back by the force, slamming into the wall. Luckily, she seemed relatively fine though, quickly jumping back up and scrambling behind the crates next to the door. 

Lapis exchanged a half-relieved, half-terrified look with Pearl. Watching your sisters almost killed tended to be a harrowing experience. Lapis flinched back as the bad guys turned their fire back to the two trapped vigilantes, apparently giving up pursuit of the two they assumed already escaped. She noticed Pearl do the same, hunching closer to Lapis. Lapis shot Garnet a grim look. There was no way that they could get over to the others, not with the amount of firepower the criminals had. 

Garnet looked both outraged and determined. Lapis saw her making motions with her hands. She held her hand out to them, palm up. _Stay there. _Lapis nodded to show she understood. She could practically see the gears turning in the other Gem’s head. Trying to figure out what she could do to get her teammate’s out of the line of fire.__

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____

She didn’t get a chance to make a move because an explosion suddenly went off from where the criminals were taking cover. The loud noise caused Lapis to jump, holding her hands over her ears and gritting her teeth. _Did one of their weapons overheat? _she wondered. The fire from the other side stopped, panicked screaming taking its place. Lapis grimaced at the sound. Movement above her drew her attention above and her jaw dropped.__

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Archer was kneeling up in the rafters, bow drawn and ready to fire. Lapis watched in amazement as she fired again. The arrow stuck to the wall behind the criminals. For a second, Lapis thought the vigilante had missed. To her shock, the arrow exploded. _Well, that explains a lot. And raises more questions. Like, who the hell has exploding arrows?_

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____

“Don’t just stand there!” a modulated voice snapped, drawing Lapis attention away from the carnage and back up to Archer. “Move! Now!” 

Lapis and Pearl didn’t hesitate. The rogue vigilante had given them just the opening they needed. They ran to Garnet and Amethyst, still firing at the criminals to give themselves some extra cover fire. As Lapis and Pearl ducked behind the same cover Garnet and Amethyst were hiding behind, the bluenette looked back up at Archer. She was just in time to see the green-clad hero launch three more arrows. These arrows also embedded themselves into the wall. They exploded as well, but this time the effect was more like a flashbang. 

Archer put their bow on their back before swinging down from the rafters onto the stack of crates the Crystal Gems were hiding behind. The criminals started firing again, but the stun arrows had done the trick. The shots were completely random and the blinded enemies were aiming them where they last saw the rogue vigilante instead of following their path. Archer dropped gracefully in front of them, crouching. 

They didn’t waste any time, ushering the Crystal Gems out the door. “Go! Before they get their bearings back and try to follow us!” they hissed, moving to the front of the group and holding the door open for Garnet. Lapis and Pearl followed their leader and injured teammate. She looked back just in time to see Archer placing several objects around the door. 

Archer followed them out, moving to the front of the group once again. “This way,” they said, running across the street and into an alley. The Crystal Gems followed Archer’s lead as they pressed close to one of the brick walls. Lapis saw them raise their hand. She only now noticed the device they held. They used their thumb to press a button. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then, Lapis saw green smoke rising from the Amethyst shaped hole in the wall. 

“What did you do?” Garnet asked. Lapis had known the other Gem for over a decade and even she couldn’t tell what tone the taller vigilante used. The mask didn’t help, as she couldn’t try to read her expression either. The older woman was, at times, an enigma even to her family. 

“Knockout gas,” Archer replied. “I rigged the building with it. Figured it was the safest way to take these bastards in. I was almost done when you guys came in. You have rather horrible timing.” They said it matter of factly, as if they hadn’t jeopardized the other vigilante’s obviously carefully laid plan. 

Archer reached into one of the pouches on their belt, pulling out a...cell phone? Lapis watched as they dialed a number on it, before putting it on speaker. Guess the helmet wasn’t the most conducive for hearing someone over the phone. 

Someone picked up on the other line. “Detective Price.” Lapis instantly recognized the gruff voice. She’d seen the detective testify in one of Rose’s cases. The man was in his in his early forties. He blond and gray hair was cut in a brush cut. He also had a blond and gray, short beard. The man was rough around the edges, but according to Rose, he also had a reputation as a damn good detective. He’d also made it well known that he was not the Archer’s biggest fan. In fact, he was actively hunting the vigilante down (he had recently added the Crystal Gems to his to-do list, but seemed more interested in Archer for now). Lapis raised an eyebrow under her helmet, interested in this new development. Why would a vigilante have the private number of the detective that had sworn to put them in jail. 

“Hello, Detective,” Archer replied. It was hard to distinguish tone with the modulator, but if Lapis had to hazard a guess, she thought the rogue sounded amused. Which was interesting, because she was expecting them to use the same intimidating tone they’d used with everyone else she’d seen them interact with. 

“What the hell do you want? Ready to turn yourself in yet?” 

“Not yet. Maybe I’ll consider it as a Christmas present.” The vigilante casually leaned against the wall, as if they hadn’t just been involved in a life-or-death gun fight. “I do have a late birthday present for you.” 

“I’m not interested in anything you have,” the detective snapped. Almost as an afterthought, he added, “How do you know when my birthday is?” 

“Police records aren’t that hard to get ahold of. Come on. You don’t even want a little hint to what your present is?” 

“No.” 

“Fine. Spoil my fun. Although, you might want to change your mind. After all, it does involve those alien arm dealers your department has been trying to get ahold of. As a bonus, I’ll even throw in their buyers.” 

Lapis thought she heard the detective’s breath catch. “What did you do? And what condition am I going to find these guys in?” he grumbled. 

“I did your job, Detective. And they’re fine. I had to use some mild explosives and knockout gas. Their clothes might be a little singed. And the knockout gas is completely harmless. They’ll wake up in a few hours. Come to the warehouse on Dunswin Avenue. You’ll find them there.” 

“Hey, wait-” Archer hung up the phone, cutting him off. They snapped the flip phone in half, throwing both halves into the nearby dumpster. They turned to face Lapis and the others. Lapis saw Amethyst giving the rogue an awed look. She had no doubt the smaller Gem was ecstatic about the interaction that just took place. Amethyst tended to have a stick-it-to-the-man vibe. She didn’t even have to see Garnet and Pearl’s expressions to know they did not approve of the way the other vigilante had spoken to an officer of the law. Personally, Lapis thought it was pretty funny. 

A garbled sigh came through the rogue’s modulator. “What are your injuries?” they asked. 

“I’m fine.” Amethyst grumbled uncomfortably as the other’s attention turned to her. Lapis did not envy her, as Pearl immediately went into hover-mom mode at the reminder of the injured Gem. Garnet was trying to keep hold of the now struggling Amethyst while also trying to get a better look at her injured arm. A pained gasp from Amethyst did a good job of bringing her struggling to a stop and exposing her as the little liar that she was. 

Another, more long-suffering sigh escaped the rogue before she gestured for them to move. “We can take a closer look after we get to a safer location. I don’t want to risk still being here when Detective Price gets here. I’ll have to make him look like a c-idiot again and he tends to get rather grumpy when I do that,” they said, gesturing for the Gems to follow her. Lapis looked at Garnet for approval before following. 

Once again, the green-clad vigilante led them through a maze of alleyways. They stopped in one of them before instructing Garnet to place Amethyst down so she could sit on some boxes in the alleyway. The rogue ordered Amethyst to carefully take off her hoodie. Lapis saw Amethyst shoot Garnet a look. She only obeyed after getting an approving nod from the tallest Gem. Garnet, Pearl and Lapis kept a close eye on the other vigilante as they kneeled to get a better look at Amethyst’s injured arm. Lapis also kept an eye on Garnet as she towered over the stranger, ready to pounce if they made the slightest indication that they would harm the Latina. She noticed that Pearl was equally tense. _I get the feeling that if they wanted to hurt us, they’d have gassed us with the arms dealers. Instead, they risked their life to save us. _With that thought, Lapis relaxed, leaning against the brick wall of the alleyway. She still watched the vigilante intently, but more because she was curious to see what they would do next.__

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The rogue pulled a flashlight out from one of the patches on their belt. Lapis grimaced as she saw Amethyst’s arm. She could clearly see that the bone was broken, though thankfully it wasn’t a compound fracture. Her arm and shoulder also had a deep bruise from her rough landing. Lapis wouldn’t be surprised if the bruising continued down her side, though she couldn’t see because of the other girl’s tank top. 

Archer handed the flashlight to Pearl. “Hold this. Keep it directed at her arm,” they instructed. The vigilante looked at Amethyst. “I’m going to have to reset the bone. It’s going to hurt like hell, but if I don’t do it, the bone will heal wrong and you’ll have to have it broken again in order to fix it.” 

“I think I’m good having it broken once,” Amethyst replied. It was hard to see in the dark, but Lapis could have sworn she saw the Latina’s face pale at the thought. 

Archer nodded, grabbing hold of Amethyst’s arm. “On three,” they said. “One-” They snapped her bone back into place. Archer quickly covered Amethyst’s mouth with one hand, muffling her scream. The other three Gems jumped. 

Garnet grabbed the rogue’s shoulder. Lapis could tell from Archer’s grunt of pain that she used too much force. “What the fuck?” the taller Gem practically growled. 

“That’s my question,” Amethyst added, voice strained. 

“I’m sorry,” Archer replied, trying in vain to pry Garnet’s hand off her shoulder. “It’s better for her to be relaxed. Despite appearances, tensing her muscles would have caused her more pain.” 

Garnet slowly released the other vigilante. “You pull something like that again and I’ll snap you like a damn twig.” 

“You’re welcome,” the green-clad vigilante grumbled. Pulling bandages out of their belt, they wrapped Amethyst’s arm, using a piece wood they found to make a splint. They also made a sling for her They turned back to Amethyst. “Lift your shirt. Just enough so I can check your ribs.” Amethyst complied. Pearl brought the flashlight back up and Lapis grimaced. Just like she thought, more bruising spread across the other Gem’s side. Amethyst winced as Archer poked and prodded at her ribs, but didn’t show any other signs of distress. The other vigilante spread their hand across Amethyst’s side. “Take a deep breath. Slowly.” Amethyst followed their instructions. 

Archer nodded, satisfied before putting their hands on their knees and rising. “You’re ribs are fine. I know you all have accelerated healing, but you should still get a cast for that arm. I imagine you probably try to avoid hospitals, so that might be a little tricky. At the very least, make sure you keep it splinted until it is fully healed. I’d also avoid any rigorous activity until you know for sure it is healed. If you aren’t careful, you’ll pop the bone back out of place again.” They pulled a small flask from yet another pouch, handing it to Amethyst. “Drink this. It’s a tea made out of special herbs. They will prevent and fight off any infections.” When Amethyst hesitated, they added, “You don’t have to worry. The herbs don’t have any negative side effects. They’re from a remote island. They’re used for healing infections and neutralizing poisons.” 

With another nod of approval from Garnet, Amethyst drank the whole flask before handing it back to Archer. “Thanks,” she said sincerely, offering the other vigilante a grateful grin. Lapis smiled as well, happy her friend already seemed to be feeling better. 

Archer nodded before turning to Garnet. “You’re home is that way,” she said, pointing in the general direction. “It’s a pretty long walk from here, about thirty minutes. But if you stick to the shadows and alleys, no one will see you.” 

Lapis felt like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over her. “How the fuck do you know where we live?” she snapped. She was no longer leaning on the wall, but stalking towards the vigilante. Garnet made the grab them, but they quickly dodged out of the way, ducking under the larger Gem’s arms. They also easily sidestepped Pearl when she tried to grab them. 

“That’s one of those disadvantages I was talking about,” the rogue said, rolling the shoulder Garnet grabbed earlier. “Having all that strength means nothing if you can’t touch your opponent.” They turned to look at Lapis. Lapis couldn’t tell for sure, but she got the feeling the smug bastard was smirking. “And I know plenty about all of you.” They lowered their voice, leaning closer to the bluenette. “Lapis Lazuli.” 

Lapis swore her heart stopped. Hearing her real name coming from this possible whackjob? That was terrifying. She growled in rage, sending a wave of water towards the rogue, freezing it as it made contact with the wall. She stared, shocked that she didn’t see the other vigilante trapped in the ice. “You’re quick,” she heard a quiet voice say right next to her ear. She whirled around, the other vigilante’s helmet less than an inch from her own. “But not quick enough. You all still have a lot to learn.” 

Lapis was frozen. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t even breathe. All that was going through her head was, _She knows. She knows who we are. She _knows. Light clicking noises snapped her out of it. She looked down, only to experience deja vu. Those same little pellets littered the floor around her. She grit her teeth. Not this time. She lunged for the rogue, only to flinch back as bright lights blinded her. _They weren’t smoke pellets! They were stun grenades!___

_____ _

_____ _

When the spots cleared from her vision, Lapis wasn’t surprised that Archer was gone. Disappeared without a trace. She grit her teeth, clenching her fists. _What are we going to do? ___


	4. Chapter 4

Peridot loved her family. She really did. Yellow had adopted her into the Diamond family when she was eleven years old and the other Diamonds quickly accepted her as one of their own. Yellow was very stern and strict, both in her professional and personal life. Peridot still cringed whenever she heard her mother reprimand one of her employees. It reminded her of the way Yellow would scold her own daughter when she was younger. To others, she seemed rather cold and impatient. Her family, however, knew she was actually very caring; the older woman just struggled to show it.

Her Aunt Blue was a rather...interesting individual. She tended to be the exact opposite of Yellow. Where Yellow was seen as uncaring, it could be argued Blue cared a bit too much. Peridot happened to be one of the few privy to the fact that her aunt cried at every sad or sentimental movie, TV show, or even commercial she saw on TV. She was the one who would turn into a blubbering mess whenever Peridot brought home a perfect report card, or invented a new device. She was also known to give crushing hugs that would nearly suffocate her victims if she was not careful.

Her favorite aunt was Pink. The youngest Diamond sister sort of reminded Peridot of an energetic child. She could be rather impulsive, but fun. She and Peridot often got into a bunch of mischief when left alone together. When Peridot came to live with Yellow, Pink started carrying candy on her person at all times, just in case her new niece wanted a sweet. To this day, all Peridot has to do is give her aunt a look, and she’ll almost magically pull out a piece of candy for her.

Peridot had been part of the Diamond family for over a decade, but her Aunt White was still an enigma to her. The oldest sister held the respect of her whole family. She was rather intimidating and was known and feared among Diamond Corp. She was the one that handled any problems that came up in the company. She’d effectively terrified any employee that came into her office, to the point that many ran crying when they were allowed to leave. Peridot could distinctly remember one man who came barreling out of her office, screaming in terror. He was still screaming by the time the elevator door closed.

Despite this reputation, White always seemed composed among her family. She’d never once raised her voice towards Peridot. If she did so with her mother and other aunts, Peridot never heard of it. She always spoke in a kind, soft tone. Her touch was always gentle, as if she was afraid any more force would cause whatever she touched to shatter. Even though she’d always treated Peridot with nothing but kindness, her niece was not immune to her intimidating air.

This is why Peridot felt a wave of relief when she walked into the Diamond’s private conference room and only saw her mother sitting there. She’d expected that she might have to report to White about the problems Rhodes had caused. Luckily, Yellow must have insisted on handling the members of her department by herself. The case against Rhodes was airtight enough (and the case against Diamond Corp. so weak), that White must have felt comfortable letting Yellow take the lead. Or maybe something of higher priority popped up. Either way, Peridot was glad.

“Peridot. So wonderful to see you, dear,” Yellow said, rising to greet her. She hugged Peridot hard. This was a new development. Before Peridot’s kidnapping, her mother usually greeted her with air kisses. After Peridot returned, Yellow had admitted to her that she regretted not taking the opportunity to show her daughter how much she cared. Peridot had assured her mother that she knew, but Yellow was not having it. Ever since she returned, Yellow had taken every opportunity she could to hug her and tell her she loved her. When she’d gone overseas, she called Peridot at least once a day.

“Mother. How was your trip? Did the meeting go well?” Peridot asked, returning the hug. “Well enough. The trip was rather boring. Mostly work. I’d rather have stayed home,” the older woman responded, sitting back down. “I hate to go right to business, but the sooner we put this Rhodes mess behind us, the better. Have you heard from Mrs. Universe again? Or Finley?”

Peridot nodded. “Mr. Finley and Mrs. Universe called a couple days after I met with her. Mr. Finley was very happy and grateful for our offer. He followed Mrs. Universe’s advice and dropped all charges against Diamond Corp. Now that he doesn’t have to worry about medical bills or supporting his family while he recovers, they are more focused on the criminal charges against Rhodes. Mrs. Universe was particularly happy with the evidence we provided against Rhodes.” She smiled. “Long story short, they were both happy that we made their lives a little easier.”

Yellow nodded, visibly relaxing. “Excellent. White will be happy to know the charges are dropped. And I’m glad. That we were able to help them,” she replied, face softening. Peridot grinned. Her mother was a secret teddy bear.

Yellow cleared her throat and rose to her feet. “Now, I hate to cut this short, but I have a meeting with your aunts. One you do not have to stay for,” she added, smirking. It was well known that Peridot was not a big fan of meetings, finding them boring. “Thank you for coming. I know you were supposed to start taking classes today, but we wanted to get this taken care of as quickly as possible.”

Peridot nodded. After she said goodbye to her mother, she met Bismuth outside. Peridot was always amused when she saw Bismuth in her work clothes. She always wore a black suit and tie, often times with sunglasses. She looked like a Man in Black.

Bismuth and her had butted heads at first. Peridot had never had a bodyguard before she got kidnapped. She had been furious at the idea that she suddenly needed a babysitter. She was more than capable of handling herself. So, she decided to make her new babysitter’s life a living hell. She would slip away, coming up with more creative ways to escape as Bismuth started to try to tighten the leash. After Bismuth discovered her...extracurricular activities, they’d reached something of a truce. Instead of fighting each other, they decided to help each other. However, occasionally Peridot would still give her new friend the slip. She liked to keep people on their toes.

“Where to?” Bismuth asked. “The university?”

“Back home,” Peridot replied. “My classes are over for today anyways.” Her mother and aunts had landed at noon and were at the office by 1:30. It seems too much work and too little sleep was a disease that ran rampant through the Diamond family. Peridot yawned. She’d had quite the long night as well. She could faintly hear her bed calling her name. That is, until she sees a mop of dark curly hair out of the corner of her eye. Looking over her shoulder, she sees a familiar boy sitting on a bench in front of a bus stop. A quick glance at her watch confirms her fears. It’s three o’clock, half an hour after high schools get out. The fourteen-year-old boy should’ve been on his way home by now. “Turn around,” she orders.

Bismuth starts, surprised. “What?”

“Turn around! Stop by the bus stop.”

Bismuth grumbled, but performed the dangerous maneuver, aggressively U-turning in the middle of the road. A chorus of honking exploded around them, but Peridot paid it no mind. As the car slowed to a stop, she hopped out, a shouting Bismuth scrambling to catch up to her rowdy charge.

“Steven!” Peridot called, jogging up to the boy. Bismuth almost ran into her when Peridot abruptly stopped in front of the boy. “What are you doing out here?”

Steven’s head shot up, a bright grin lighting up his face when he spotted Peridot. 

“Peridot! Hi! I’m waiting for Lapis,” he replied.

“By yourself?” Peridot asked skeptically. Empire City was not the kind of place for a kid to be hanging out along. Steven’s school was in a nicer neighborhood, but crime ran rampant throughout the city. Leaving a kid by themselves was a terrible idea. Some would kidnap the kid, especially if they knew he was Rose Quartz Universe’s boy. Being a prosecutor meant you racked up quite a few enemies. Others might try to recruit him or sell him drugs. Glancing at Bismuth, Peridot saw that her friend looked just as skeptical and disapproving as she felt.

Steven nodded. “Lapis was supposed to come get me after school, but she got held up in her class. I was going to walk to the university, but she told me to wait right here and not move! What are you doing here?”

Peridot began rocking back and forth on her heels. “We were in the neighborhood.”

“Cool! Can you stay until Lapis gets here? It’s no fun being by myself.”

Peridot sighed, sitting next to the boy. “Fine! I _guess_ I can wait with you. It’s so hot out here though! How can you stand it?” she replied, playfully whining. She grinned at the boy. “You know what we need? Ice cream. Hey, Bismuth! There’s an ice cream shop across the street. Can you get me a double scoop, mint chocolate chip cone? What do you want?” she asked Steven, not waiting for a response.

“What? I’m not leaving you alone!” Bismuth snapped.

“Come on! I’ll be right here the whole time. You’ll be able to see me through the window,” Peridot complained, more genuine this time around.

“Can I get a Cookie Cat bar?” Steven added.

“No way! We’ll all go over together.”

“But Steven was specifically told not to move. Are you trying to get him in trouble?” Peridot asked, gesturing towards the boy’s pouting face.

“Please Bismuth! I’ll hold her hand the whole time! She won’t go anywhere!” Steven pleaded, clasping his hands under his chin. Wide, puppy-like eyes bore into Bismuth’s soul.

“Wait, what?” Peridot asked, startled. “That’s not necessary!”

Bismuth laughed, surprised and delighted at this new turn of events. “Deal,” she agreed. “I’m only going over if you hold Steven’s hand the whole time.”

Peridot narrowed her eyes, mouthing _I’ll get you back_. However, she obediently grabbed Steven’s hand, sarcastically holding it high in the air for her friend to see. Steven obliviously played along, assuming his new friend was just as excited about ice cream as he was.

“If you want something, feel free,” Peridot said, handing Bismuth some money with her free hand. She watched her friend safely cross the street before turning her attention to Steven, who was chatting away. She chuckled bemusedly as he described an episode of “Crying Breakfast Friends” he saw the other day. _What a strange boy. Fun though_ , she thought.

Lapis POV 

Lapis ran down the sidewalk, panting furiously. She was late. She was so late. She was supposed to pick Steven up forty minutes ago. She’d panicked when the boy told her he was on his way. She’d ordered him to stay where he was and now she wanted to kick herself. She should’ve told him to go back to the school and wait there. That would’ve been a lot safer than having him wait at some random bus stop.

Ever since the Crystal Gems had escaped from the FBI, they’d stuck together. Even if a couple of them had classes that ended early, they wouldn’t leave until they could all go home together. After they accepted the Universes into their family, this mindset extended to include them. This philosophy was more lax around Rose and Greg, as they could usually handle themselves. Although, there were numerous times when they’d swung by their work to walk home with them. Steven, however, was rarely left to wander on his own. When they lived in Beach City, he could wander to his heart’s content. However, many times one of his sisters would volunteer to go with him.

After they move, they’d all agreed they would take turns picking up Steven. One or two of them would go pick him up and then they would all walk back together after the others finished class. Lapis was the only one who was able to pick him up today. 

She picked up speed as she caught sight of the stop Steven said he was at. Only to slow down once she got closer, trying to process what she was seeing. Peridot Diamond was sitting next to her brother, happily eating an ice cream cone as she listened to him talk. Steven was grinning ear-to-ear, arms waving emphatically. One hand clutched a half-eaten Cookie Cat. The same bodyguard they met at the Diamond’s mansion leaned against the side of the bus stop’s awning closest to her charge. She was giving anyone who walked too close a sharp glare, which was way less effective when she was clutching a small strawberry cone in one large hand.

Bismuth was wearing the same black suit as before. Peridot was in a similar outfit, although this time her clothes were a dark blue. Also, instead of wearing a traditional tie, a dark blue bow tie was wrapped around her neck. Her messy blonde hair seemed even more ruffled than the last time Lapis saw her.

Lapis moved closer, interrupting the three as she called, “Steven!”

“Lapis!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Peridot found me and she got us ice cream!”

“I can see that,” she replied. She looked down at Peridot, who was still sitting. “Thank you for watching out for him. My professor decided to show up late and then insisted on making up for it by keeping us past the class time.” Lapis rolled her eyes.

The blonde rose, finishing her cone. “No problem. You shouldn’t let him wander around by himself though. Empire City is not the place to let a kid walk around by themselves,” she responded, raising an eyebrow as she regarded Lapis.

Lapis sighed, running a hand through her hair. She grimaced. “I know.” Turning to Steven, she gave him a stern look. “Next time, wait for me at the school. Don’t try to go off on your own.”

Steven looked guiltily at the floor. “Sorry Lapis. I forgot how different Empire City is.” Lapis nodded. Beach City was such a small town and everyone knew everybody else. Steven was able to freely move around. He’d been able to walk by himself to school, to the boardwalk, to the Big Donut...everywhere. It must’ve been stifling to have so much freedom and then suddenly have it all taken away. The move had been a big adjustment for all of them. They were still adjusting to the larger city.

Peridot drew Lapis’ attention as stretched her arms above her head, yawning. “Well, I’ll leave you guys to it. I’m going to go home and take a nap,” she said. She exchanged goodbyes with Steven and Lapis before heading on her way. Bismuth waved as she followed Peridot as an answer to Steven’s furiously waving hands. Lapis watched them go before finally guiding Steven to the college.

A part of Lapis was not surprised to hear that Peridot had been waiting with Steven outside the high school. Apparently, the two had been in the middle of an intense game of Rock, Paper, Scissors when Amethyst and Pearl had gone to get the young boy. Steven had ultimately won after Peridot got distracted by the approaching pair.

The blonde had apparently managed to win over Amethyst by talking with her about video games. The purple-haired Latina was pretty laid back though. It didn’t take much to win her over. Pearl was not a big fan of the smaller girl, having been partnered with her in a class. She insisted the girl was bossy (which Lapis thought was the pot calling the kettle black, but she kept that to herself). Pearl had, however, developed a healthy appreciation for the blonde’s intellect. She’d impressed Pearl during their class.

Only Lapis and Garnet seemed uneasy about the youngest Diamond inserting herself into their lives. Lapis could admit that she was not the most trusting person. She thought it was strange that one of the richest people in the city decided to befriend her little brother. When she asked Garnet, the stoic Gem just said that she had a bad feeling about the blonde. This didn’t surprise Lapis. The other Gem had always trusted her instincts. For good reason; Garnet’s gut feelings had gotten them out of trouble more than once. However, they decided to let this continue. Steven was excited about having a new friend and they didn’t want to burst his bubble. Lapis and Garnet decided to keep an eye on the blonde.

When she showed up the next day, she didn’t hesitate when she saw Peridot sitting next to Steven. This time, they were both playing handheld games. When Lapis looked over Steven’s shoulder, she saw they were playing a racing game. One that Steven was currently winning. “Dammit,” she heard Peridot mutter. Looking at her game, she saw that the blonde had misjudged a turn, causing her little car to slam into the wall.

“Yes!” Steven exclaimed, throwing his hands up in victory as his little car zoomed across the finish line.

Peridot sighed as her own car raced across the finish line. “Good job, dude. You won fair and square.”

Steven slipped his own DS inside his backpack. “Are you going to come back tomorrow?” he asked.

Peridot shook her head. “I can’t tomorrow. I’m helping Mother with something. I’ll swing by the day after though.” Peridot rose to her feet, sighing in relief as she stretched her back. She turned towards Bismuth, who was standing watch close by. “I’m ready. Let’s get out of here. I need to get started on homework.”

“Bye Peridot! See you soon!” Steven yelled excitedly. He threw himself at the small girl, wrapping his arms around her. Lapis snorted in amusement at Peridot’s shocked face. She looked decidedly uncomfortable, but to her credit, she only hesitated a moment before returning the hug.

“See you later, kiddo,” she replied in an awkward grumble. She finally managed to extract herself from Steven’s enthusiastic goodbye. Peridot offered a small wave to Lapis as she walked away. “Later, Lazuli.”

Lapis rolled her eyes, carelessly returning the wave. This caused Peridot to smirk before climbing into the back of a black car. Lapis thought the whole thing was rather cliche. Black car with tinted windows, bodyguard in a black suit, tie and sunglasses. In Lapis’ opinion, it just seemed to bring even more attention, both positive and negative, to the blonde.

She turned to Steven, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as they walked. “Come on, champ. Let’s get you home. Did you have fun at school today?” she said. She listened as Steven excitedly rattled on. She noticed most of the conversation was dominated by his new friend (crush) Connie and Peridot. Apparently the former was the nicest person he’d ever met and they were going to meet up that weekend. And the latter was fun to play games with, but seemed to suck at racing games. Lapis smiled softly as Steven prattled on. Maybe someone who put such a big smile on her brother’s face wasn’t all that bad.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late update. There was holidays and getting back to work and all that. But enough excuses, on with the chapter! This one’s a little longer as an “I’m sorry” present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late update. There was holidays and getting back to work and all that. But enough excuses, on with the chapter! This one’s a little longer as an “I’m sorry” present

She shouldn’t have been surprised. She should’ve realized that green-clad vigilante would become a pain in their collective asses. Still, Lapis was just as unamused as the rest of her team seemed when she caught sight of Archer hanging out on the roof of the small abandoned building they used as a base of operations. 

After the Universe family had moved to Empire City, the Crystal Gems had immediately started scouting out a place they could work out of. They knew it would be too dangerous to work from the Universe home. The small building had been perfect for their needs. It had a basement that allowed them to store all their equipment. It also had enough room to set up a workstation for Pearl, which she used to gather information and store and organize evidence they found.

Now, the small vigilante had encroached on their space. Archer sat casually on the roof. One leg dangled from the edge. Their other ankle rested on their knee. Their elbow rested on one knee, chin propped on one hand. Archer seemed to not have a care in the world. If anything, their posture seemed to show slight boredom. 

The smaller vigilante perked up upon seeing the Crystal Gems. Lapis watched as they leaned forward far enough to throw themselves off balance, leading to Archer falling off the roof. They used their momentum to front flip in the air, gracefully landing in a crouch in front of the Gems. Standing to their full height, they crossed their arms, looking up at the tallest Gem. “Good evening,” they greeted. 

“What are you doing here?” Garnet snapped. “How did you find this place?” 

Lapis saw Archer’s head tilt ever so slightly to the side. “Oh, I’m sorry. You mean you were actually trying to hide this place? You’re not doing a very good job. Your group is rather obvious. Don’t get me wrong; coming in a group is rather smart. It would be incredibly strange, stupid, and dangerous for a young woman to walk alone in the city at night. A group of them, however, seems pretty normal. But only if they are acting like a group of friends having a night out. Laughing, joking around. What is going to draw attention is a group of young women walking around with a bunch of serious scowls on their faces. 

“Plus, you take the same route to get here every time your team goes on patrol. How do you think I knew who you all were? A child could’ve tracked you,” they replied, shaking their head in exasperation. 

“Wait, you followed us? That’s a little creepy, even for you,” Amethyst said. 

Archer shrugged. “In all honesty, I didn’t even have to follow you. I did that mostly for confirmation. Half the time you all use your real names on patrol. Not exactly conducive to keeping a secret identity. Usually, you do a good job of using your codenames when you think someone might hear you, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. You never know when a clever person might be listening in out of sight.” Archer used their thumb to point at their chest, making it obvious who the “clever person” they were talking about was. 

“So an infamous vigilante, who is constantly in the news and everyone in the city recognizes on sight, confronting us outside an abandoned building is supposed to be subtle?” Lapis asked sarcastically. Really, she understood where Archer was coming from. In Beach City, the Crystal Gems identity had been the worst kept secret ever. It didn’t really matter in such a small town with so little crime. Here is a much different story. However, Archer’s arrogant, better-than-thou attitude was frustrating, to say the least. 

“I checked the area beforehand. I also took the liberty of placing security cameras around the building, which I was monitoring before you got here.” Archer raised their hand to cut off the Gems angry protests. “Which I will remove before the end of the night. Now, we have a lot of work to do tonight. After you,” they said, opening the door with a theatrical bow. 

Lapis heard Garnet’s exasperated sigh. She was kind of impressed. That was bigger than the sighs she usually gives Amethyst. Garnet gestured for the others go inside, following after them. Archer slipped in behind them, closing the door. They made their way over to the couch (which Lapis and Amethyst had insisted on getting; they knew how thorough Pearl could be with her research and they didn’t want to stand around for an hour and a half while she found someone for them to follow-up on), sitting down and gesturing for the Crystal Gems to get ready. 

Lapis was surprised that Garnet was allowing this. They’d all decided that Archer knowing their identities was relatively safe. They figured if Archer was going to do anything sordid with that knowledge, they would’ve already done so. The rouge had left them alone for a couple weeks. Lapis figured they would run into them again eventually, but she didn’t think it would be in their own base with the green-clad archer ordering them around. Still, she trusted Garnet’s judgement. If the taller Gem wanted to see what the other vigilante had in mind instead of dumping them out on their ass, she would go along with it. 

After they’d gotten dressed into their suits, they came back into the main room. Nebula went to the desk to turn on her computer. Apparently she decided to just ignore Archer’s existence entirely and act like it was any other patrol. 

Titan moved to stand in front of Archer. “You said we had work to do. Do you need help with something?” she asked. 

Archer chuckled, shaking their head as the stood to meet Titan head on. “No, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not the one that needs help. You are. I’m going to work with you and your team. Train you on how to survive here in the big city. Because if you keep acting this way, you’ll all be dead by year’s end.” 

“That’s it! I’m sick of your know-it-all attitude! You only showed up a few months before we did, get you’re always acting like such a condescending asshole!”Purple Puma snapped, marching up to Archer. Her words were empathized by sharp pokes to the green vigilante’s chest. 

“Ame-Puma!” Nebula yelled, scandalized. She was not a big fan of cursing. Leviathan winced. If she remembered that by the end of the night, Purple Puma was in for quite the lecture. 

Archer grabbed Puma’s wrist. Leviathan has the feeling that if they could see the other vigilante’s face, they’d be glaring. “Please stop that. I’m sorry if I’m coming across as an ass. But the fact is, I know this city better than any of you. I’ve lived here my whole life. And I’ve got more experience in this area than any of you. I have been doing this for months, but I’ve also been trained in combat and battle strategy for as long as I can remember. I’d like to give you that knowledge the easy way. Save you all some of the scars I got and blood and sleep I lost learning it,” they said. Slowly, they released Puma. “If that means I have to be rude and mean to get you to listen, then that’s what I’ll do. But I’d like it if you went along with this willingly.” 

“What’s in it for you? Why would you help us?” Leviathan asked. Her own helmet hid the eyebrow that raised with the question. 

“I get to not have your deaths on my conscience,” they replied. That surprised Leviathan and the others into silence. “I’m a firm believer in the philosophy that if you have the power to stop something bad from happening and you don’t act on it, then you are no better than the criminals themselves. I have the power to help you all survive. If I don’t act on it, I’m just setting you up for slaughter.” 

The Crystal Gems exchanged glances. Still, none of them said a word. For once, even Purple Puma was speechless. Archer looked around at all of them, hands on their hips. “Now, we have a lot to do and we’re wasting a perfect, clear night. Are you coming with me or not?” 

Titan nodded, gesturing for the rest of the Gems to follow Archer. They led the group up the stairs to the roof of the building. As they climbed, Archer started talking again. “Okay, tonight, we’re going to focus on small time stuff. I’ve seen a bit of your skills, but this will allow me to get a much better idea of not only your individual strengths, but also how you function as a team. “Now, the biggest difference between crime in a big city versus a small city is networking. Small town criminals tend to act independently, whereas big city criminals tend to work together. For example, a place like Beach City probably only has one or two drug dealers that work alone. They likely make their own and sell their own product. Here in Empire City, you’ll have one person, or possibly a small group of people, who run everything. They might make the product themselves, but it’s much more likely that they’ll have others do that for them, depending on how big the network is. Then they have suppliers in charge of distributing that product to drug dealers. Depending on how big the group is, these people might then recruit others to actually sell the product. 

“Going after the drug dealers tends to be extremely inefficient. They’re the bottom of the criminal chain. They usually aren’t trusted with the names of the bigger members of the group and they are easily replaced. Usually the best way to take down an organization like this is to work from the bottom up. Try to identify all the key players. Understand the relationships between the people in the organization. Figure out how their operations work. It takes a lot of work, but it also allows you to find and eliminate the big players and bosses. The small fish are easier, but the bigger ones are a much better reward.” 

Archer opened the door to the roof, letting the others pass in front of them. “Another option is taking on white-collar criminals. One of my specialties, actually. Buckner is a great example. The problem with white-collar criminals is that you can’t just go in, beat them up and leave them for the cops to find. You have to gain evidence and you have to be subtle about it. If they catch wind that someone is snooping around, it could chase them off.” 

“That’s rich coming from the person we met while holding Buckner at arrow-point,” Purple Puma cut in. 

One of Archer’s hands came up, rubbing the back of their neck. “Yes, well, that was definitely not my most elegant work. But I was on a time crunch. If I didn’t act quickly, a certain kid might not be around anymore.” 

The reminder of the threat against their little brother was enough to keep anyone from interrupting again. “We’ll work on all of this later. I’m going to send you all files and cases to study up on before we focus on that.” Leviathan watched as Archer lifted one hand, two fingers pressing against a spot on their helmet, near where their ear would be. “Prism? Are you ready?” 

“Who the hell is Prism?” Leviathan asked, startled. Until right now, she’d never heard of Archer working with anyone. The news outlets have never mentioned anyone named Prism. 

Archer tilted their head towards her. “My partner of sorts. They’re still a little green. Haven’t made their official debut yet. For tonight, Prism will be listening to the police scanner and directing us. They’ll be able to filter through everything so we know which problems the police will need help with and which they can handle on their own.” Their tone was amused. Leviathan has the feeling that they were smirking at her. Her own returning glare was, of course, covered by her helmet, but it made her feel better. 

“First job of the night. There’s a shootout between the cops and gang members on Ivory Lane. That’s not too far from here-” 

“We know where it is,” Purple Puma cut in. She quickly shifted into a hawk, heading off in the direction of the shootout. Titan ran after her, easily hopping from building to building. Leviathan produced wings of water from her back, scooping up Nebula as she took off. It was only once she was in the air that Leviathan realized Archer might be like Nebula. When they weren’t in a hurry, the Gems superior strength allowed them to easily cross the rooftops, similar to how Titan was moving now, though they weren’t all able to jump over multiple buildings at a time. Nebula was the only Crystal Gem that didn’t have a faster method of travel, so usually one of the others grabbed her and gave her a ride before they left. 

Leviathan was preparing to turn around when a blurred object shot in front of her. It darted in front of Purple Puma, causing her to let out an squawk as she ungracefully braked, almost colliding the with now stopped thing. Titan landed behind the hovering purple hawk, who was now angrily screeching at the green-clad vigilante. Leviathan blinked in surprise as she hovered next to her teammates. Said vigilante was riding on an honest-to-stars hoverboard. The hoverboard was black and green. It was nearly silent, only making the faintest of humming noises. Archer easily stood on it, arms crossed as they observed the Gems. 

“If we weren’t in a hurry, I’d rip you all a new one. As it is, after we’re done at Ivory, we’re going to be having a very serious talk about the consequences or running into a situation without knowing any details!” Archer snapped. They turned and started off, waving for the Gems to follow them. “As I was saying, these guys don’t have any alien weapons. That being said, they do have some pretty strong firepower. Shotguns and assault rifles, possibly armor-piercing rounds. I’m going to hang back and observe how you work together. That being said, I will still be close enough to provide support and cover fire if needed.” 

They reached the shootout. Several cop cars were parked in front of an average, inconspicuous building. Officers were taking cover behind their patrol cars, desperately trying to avoid a near constant spray of bullets. The gun wielding criminals inside and on the roof of the building, firing down at the officers. 

“Alright Crystal Gems, listen up,” Titan said. “Purple Puma, get those officers to safety. I’m going to go in the front, get their attention and draw their fire. Nebula, you enter from the back. Incapacitate as many as you can. Leviathan, take out the ones on the roof and then make your way down. We hit them hard and fast. Don’t give them a chance to regroup.” 

The Gems moved into position. Leviathan dropped off Nebula at the back, being careful to stay low and out of sight. She was surprised when Archer followed her, landing their hoverboard. She was equally shocked when Archer produced a projected screen from one of her palms. One push of a button and the board shifted, mechanics drawing the pieces together until it took the shape of a small cube. Archer picked up the cube, placing it in one of the pouches on their belt. 

“I’ll go in the back with Nebula for support. Titan’s plan is good, but if these guys are smart, they’ll have people stationed at the back just in case. It wouldn’t be too hard for them to pin her down if that’s the case,” the rogue explained. She motioned for Nebula to take the lead, nodding to Leviathan before following along. 

Leviathan headed up top, silently landing on the roof. She took cover behind the entrance to the roof, peaking out at the men. There were four men stationed across the roof, each equipped with an assault rifle. Leviathan nodded to herself. She waited until she heard Titan’s war cry. Her bulletproof teammate made the perfect distraction for the gun-happy criminals. In fact, it worked better than she hoped it would. Instead of immediately turning their fire on the girl, the men on the roof stopped firing entirely, gaping in shock at the large, charging woman. 

Taking advantage of the break in gunfire, Leviathan summoned a large column of water. She manipulated it to slam into the men from the side, slamming them together. The men grunted as they fell, a harsh cracking noise rigging out as two unlucky guys’ heads smacked together. Once the men were on the ground, Leviathan summoned more water. It flowed over the men before freezing solid, trapping them. After checking to make sure the ice was thick enough that they wouldn’t escape, Leviathan entered the building. 

She made her way through the building, carefully checking each room to make sure none of the criminals escaped or could sneak up behind her. When she got to the stairs, she went down to the bottom floor. The building has an open floor plan with very little cover. It seemed it was at one point used as a restaurant. 

Leviathan saw Titan confronting the men in the front of the building. She currently had one of them hoisted over her head. She grimaced as Titan threw him into the wall, watching him smack into it and then crash onto the floor. Two cracks were heard as the man hit the back of his head against the wall, then his face against the floor. She turned her head to look at the back of the building. Titan seemed to have the front under control. She turned just in time to see one of Nebula’s lasers slam into a gunner’s chest. He flew back, crashing into and breaking a table. He didn’t get up again. Another fell with a loud cry, a green fletched arrow stuck in his shoulder. He moved to get up and Leviathan made her move. She summoned more water, freezing the man in place. Several other gunners laid strewn out along the floor. A few had green fletched arrows sticking out of arms and legs. The others she assumed Nebula took down. 

Titan came up behind her. “We’re done here. Let’s get out of here before our friends in blue decide whether they should take us in or not,” she said, moving out the back. The group made their way through the alleys, running a couple blocks before stopping. Titan let out an ear-piercing whistle. Soon after, a purple hawk joined them, landing gracefully on Titan’s shoulder. 

Archer pointed at Titan. “That is a great way to lead enemies to your position. Do any of you have communicators?” they asked. 

“We do, but it’s difficult for Puma to use one. She shape changes so often that it is hard to get a communicator on her. The mask only works because she shifts that part of her face to have a mask. She could theoretically do the same with a communicator, but to get it to work right she’d have to know all the inner mechanisms and how they function,” Nebula replied. 

“Hmm...I’ll think of something. I’ll experiment a bit with the tech I use and see what I can do,” Archer said. One hand had moved to hold their chin, their head tilted slightly down as they thought. Leviathan watched curiously as they physically shook their head, mentally coming back to the present. “Anyway, that went quite well. It was a good plan. However, like I feared, they did station several gunners at the back. If I wasn’t there, it’s very likely Nebula would’ve been in trouble.” 

“What would you suggest?” Titan asked. Leviathan was surprised that her tone wasn’t the least bit confrontational. She seemed genuinely curious. 

“If you were willing to risk the cops being under fire for longer, I’d have suggested trying a more stealthy approach. All four of you could have taken the men on the roof out without being detected and then made your way quietly through the building. That does mean risking casualties for the officers though. Otherwise…” Archer reaches into one of their pouches, handing another small green box to Nebula. “I’d suggest using one of those. If you press the button on top, it folds out into a ballistic riot shield.” Nebula grunted as Archer handed her the shield. “It’s heavier than it looks,” she said in surprise and fascination. Leviathan has no doubt she’d spend the whole day tomorrow trying to figure out how the thing worked. 

“It’s made of heavier stuff that my armor, and from how easily you and Leviathan move around, I’m assuming yours as well. It becomes a flat shield when you press that button. If you crouch down, it’ll be large enough to cover you while still allowing you to fire. It’ll automatically strap onto the arm you were holding it in. The button to put it back in standby mode will also be on that strap.” Archer looked over at Leviathan. “I only have one with me, but I can get one for you as well.” 

“That’s very generous of you,” Titan commented. Archer shrugged. “I have some extras. Might as well put them to good use. Now, let’s move out. We’re heading for a fire in an apartment building next,” they said, pointing. Leviathan turned to see a large cloud of black smoke rising in the distance. 

Archer activated their hoverboard again. They gestured for Nebula to join them. “Hop on. I want you to get used to riding around on one of these. I’m planning on making sure you have one next time. It’s not wise to rely solely on your teammates for fast travel. You may end up in a situation where they can’t get to you. If you prefer that method, this could at the very least be a backup method.” She climbed on behind the green-clad vigilante. With Archer’s nod of approval, she wrapped her arms around their waist. 

They took off towards the fire. When they arrived, Leviathan “borrowed” the water from the firefighters hoses. With the help of the fire captain, she was able to better target key areas to fight the fire. The fire had started in the middle of the building, working its way both down and up. Leviathan could see people trapped on the roof of the building, frantically waving and shouting for the firefighters below to help them. Titan and Nebula ran into the apartment building, finding and rescuing trapped people or directing people safely out. Purple Puma changed into a gorilla, using her size, strength and climbing abilities to carry people trapped on the roof down. Archer joined her, taking people down on her hoverboard. 

Eventually they managed to get everyone out and, with the firefighters help, she managed to put out the fire. At Archer’s insistence, they made a quick exit, although the Crystal Gems made sure to wave at the cheering crowd below. They stopped on the roof of a building about six blocks away to regroup. 

“That went well,” Archer said, sounding genuinely pleased with their efforts. “Timely response. No casualties. And very efficient use of everyone’s strengths. Well done. Prism, what’s next?” 

They moved out again and spent the next few hours patrolling the streets. They stopped several crimes, including stopping couple robberies, convincing a few people they caught trying to steal a car to move along and helping the police out with a car chase. Along the way, Archer pointed out everything they did right and wrong and gave them plenty of advice about how to fix their shortcomings. Leviathan’s favorite was probably when they told Purple Puma that she shouldn’t juggle a bunch of expensive jewelry she’d taken off of a robber. Puma has tried to argue, but had quickly and carefully replaced them when Archer pointed out their hefty prices. 

Most of their time was spent patrolling the streets until they either found something or Prism heard something interesting over the police scanner. During this downtime, Archer explained her system for patrolling and went more in-depth on how to handle different types of crimes and criminals. This included a few tips for fighting people with alien weapons, how to safely deal with drug and arms deals, and how to safely stop a car chase. (Apparently they didn’t appreciate Titan’s approach of standing in the middle of the road and slamming her fist on the hood of the car...and through the hood of the car to knock out the engine. In her defense, it did stop the car.) 

Archer was in the middle of one such lecture when they heard the sound of breaking glass. The smaller vigilante immediately turned, leading the way as the group moved to investigate the sound. They stopped on a rooftop on the other side of the street, a few buildings down from where the robbery took place. Adjusting the settings on their equipment (or, in Purple Puma’s case shifting her eyes) they were able to see two men dressed in black gathering jewelry from the displays. Another man dressed in black was outside, having already filled his bag. He stashed it in a getaway car. 

Purple Puma groaned. “Two jewelry store robberies in one night? These guys need to be more original.” 

The other jewelry thieves they’d caught had been a joke. They’d brought a couple knives and a baseball bat, but the obviously inexperienced kids didn’t know how to use them. They’d randomly swung their weapons around, hoping to get a hit and it had been child’s play for the Crystal Gems to take them down. They took them down before Archer could even fire off a shot. 

“I’ve got this,” Puma continued. She shapeshifted into a hawk and took off. 

“No!” Archer hissed. But it was too late. Puma swooped down and shifted again, this time into her signature puma. “Damn it!” 

Archer jumped off the roof just as Puma surprised the guy at the car. She pounced on his back, slamming him into the car. His body met ungiving metal with a loud thud. His head smacked against the car, knocking him unconscious. And alerting his buddies inside to her presence. The other Gems jumped off the roof and followed after Archer as the other two criminals rushed out, panicking and shouting as they came to their friend’s defense. 

One had a crowbar and the other had a small pistol. He raised the gun, preparing to fire at Puma. Leviathan saw Nebula getting ready to launch a laser at him, but Archer was faster. They quickly fired an arrow. It pierced the gunner’s arm, causing him to drop the gun and let out a cry of pain. A follow up blast from Nebula knocked the guy out cold. 

The crowbar guy wildly swung his weapon at Puma, screaming in panic. She dodged under a particularly wide swipe and rose up on her hind legs, bringing a paw down on the guy’s head. While she was careful to keep her claws away, the blow was still strong enough to knock the guy out cold. 

“Hey, what the hell?” The shout brought the Gems attention to a fourth perp, one they’d missed in all the excitement. One that was carrying a shotgun. Before any of them could react, he fired off a shot. Leviathan panicked. Garnet was too far away. They were all too far away. She sent a large chunk of ice at the criminal, one of Nebula’s lasers following quickly behind. 

While they were too far away, Leviathan saw that Archer was not. The smaller vigilante threw a flechette from their arm. And Leviathan watched in shock as they then stepped in front of Purple Puma. 

For Leviathan, everything after that seemed to happen in slow motion. The shotgun slug slammed into Archer’s chest, sending them flying backwards. Archer’s flechette pierced the man’s hand, before the ice and laser blast sent him flying backwards into the store. He didn’t show any signs of getting back up. 

Purple Puma was the first to reach Archer, shifting back into her human form. “Fuck! Shit, are you okay? Can you hear me?” She asked frantically, not knowing how to help. 

The other Gems immediately ran to help. By the time they got their, Archer had pushed Puma away, staggering to their feet. They reached one hand out to support themselves against the criminal’s car, the other holding their right side, right where their ribs would be. Leviathan winced as they stopped near the rouge, hearing the smaller vigilante gasp for breath. She hoped they’d just gotten the wind knocked out of them, instead of a broken rib puncturing their lung. 

Archer waved at them, stumbling forward. “Go.” Even with the voice modulator muddling their speech, they sounded strained. When the Gems hesitated, they snapped again. “Let’s go!” 

They ducked into the alley next to the jewlery store, Leviathan supporting Archer as they went. As they made their way through the alley, she saw the back of the store. The back door was left open, the glass in it busted out. They continued to move, not stopping until they were a few blocks away. 

“What the hell were you thinking? You could’ve been killed! You can’t assume that all criminals are the same. Just because the other robbers we’ve stopped tonight didn’t have guns, doesn’t mean they all won’t!” Archer hissed. Leviathan got the feeling they wanted to yell much louder, but between the pain of getting shot and not wanting to draw attention to them, they stayed relatively quiet. 

“I’m sorry! I thought I could take them! Are you going to be okay?” Puma replied. Leviathan felt bad for her. She looked devastated. 

“I’ll be fine. Because I have equipment that protects me if I get shot! Equipment you don’t have! You were the last person who should’ve gone down to handle that situation! You could’ve gotten yourself killed. Or you could have gotten one of your teammates killed while they’re desperately trying to save you because you thought it was a good idea to rush in! Do you just not have the ability to think before you act?” Archer said harshly. They were still clutching their side, leaning against on of the alley’s brick walls. 

“Enough. She already feels bad enough and she learned a very harsh lesson tonight. How was she supposed to know that there was another criminal in the building?” Nebula pointed out. 

“They came in through the back,” Leviathan cut in. 

The others turned to look at her surprised. “How do you know?” Garnet asked, curious. 

“The back door was open and the glass in it was busted. That’s the noise we heard. That guy was probably watching the alley to make sure no one came through that way and noticed what they were doing. He must’ve come running when he heard his buddies screaming their heads off about a puma attacking them.” She paused as they heard the tell-tale sound of police sirens. “The same screaming that got their attention probably freaked him out. Between already being scared and seeing a big purple jungle cat in the middle of the city, it’s no wonder he was a bit trigger happy.” 

The bluenette turned her attention to Archer. “You knee didn’t you?” 

Archer nodded. “We heard glass breaking, but the front door and display glass were both intact. And they didn’t bust the glass in the display cases either. I figured they’d entered through a window or the back door, which opened the possibility of there being more robbers than just the ones we could see out front.” 

Leviathan modded. “Do we need to take you to the hospital?” she asked, genuinely concerned. 

“No.” 

“Let me rephrase that. What are your injuries? And don’t tell me you’re fine. You just got shot. With a shotgun.” The two stared each other down. Archer broke first. 

Signing, they lifted their hand, showing where the slug had been stopped by their armor. “Bruised, possibly broken ribs. Nothing that’ll kill me.” 

“If they’re broken, you should go to the hospital. What if you move the wrong way and they puncture your lung?” Garnet pointed out, moving towards the smaller vigilante, like she was ready to pick up the small vigilante and drag her to the emergency room. 

Archer backed up, hands out and waving her arms. “No! I’ll be fine. If we go, they’ll just wrap my ribs and tell me to rest. I can handle that myself.” The green-clad rouge tensed in pain, grabbing their ribs again. “We’re done for tonight anyways. We’ll part ways here. I’m not going too far, so don’t offer to take me. And don’t follow me. I’ll know if you do and, injured or not, I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget. We’ll talk tomorrow.” 

The small rogue activated their hoverboard. Standing on it, they turned and gave the other the “I’m watching you” sign before flying off. 

“Come on, Gems. We’re heading back,” Titan ordered. Putting her hands on her hips and giving Purple Puma a stern look, she added, “We have a lot to talk about when we get back.” 

Purple Puma hunched her shoulders, looking sheepish and guilty. She slinked around Titan and Nebula, heading towards base. Titan and Nebula followed her. Leviathan looked up in the direction Archer had left. “How do they stay on that hoverboard?” she wondered aloud. Not expecting the darkness around her to answer, she turned back, jogging to catch up to her teammates. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, longer window between updates, but longer chapter to try to make up for it. Hope you all enjoy.
> 
> P.S. I hate trying to italicize anything on this website. It only works half the time. If anyone has any advice, I would appreciate it. I don’t understand why I do the same thing in two different parts of the text and one comes out right and the other doesn’t. Just cannot figure it out.

When Steven burst into her room at eight o’clock on a Saturday morning, Lapis had been determined to ignore him. Judging by the fact that an hour later, they were all driving around in Greg’s borrowed van, she was not successful. After she was woken up against her will, Steven informed her that they were going to visit Peridot today, because apparently that’s what good friends did. Lapis thought good friends let each other sleep in on the weekends. She’d only agreed to go if they could go to the beach. If she was going to be up before noon on a Saturday, she should at least get to swim. 

It had been a couple days since the disaster patrol where Archer got shot. On the bright side, Archer had contacted them the next night. They’d informed the team that they had bruised ribs, but they’d continue patrolling with the Gems again in a couple days. Garnet and Pearl has tried to convince them that they should rest, but Archer wouldn’t hear anything of it. They did mention that Prism would be joining them. Lapis wasn’t sure how she felt about that. 

As they pulled up to Peridot’s gigantic home, Lapis was once again struck by the elegance of it. She almost couldn’t believe that Peridot lived there. After hanging out with the small blonde a few times, the Gems had quickly realized that she was an awkward dork. Pearl still wasn’t Peridot’s biggest fan, but she’d softened to the blonde after a couple of the lengthy discussions they had regarding the newest tech Diamond Corp. was creating. Amethyst and Lapis both talked about video games with her, and the bluenette could admit watching her rant about gaming hardware or go off about loot boxes was kinda cute. Garnet and Peridot didn’t really spend a lot of time interacting with each other in the group, but there were a few times when she noticed the two breaking off a little from the others, usually lagging behind as they quietly talked amongst themselves. Steven was, predictably, the closest to Peridot and their relationship was...interesting. They’d go from arguing about what ice cream flavor was the best to excitedly gushing about a new game they were excited for to complaining about height restrictions on the rides at Happy Land (honestly, Lapis preferred Beach City’s Funland). Overall, around the Universes, Peridot did not act like one would expect the daughter of a billionaire to act. 

That being said, she was usually dressed the part. Lapis could not remember ever seeing the girl in anything other than dress pants, dress shoes, a tie/bow tie, dress shirt and at least a waistcoat, if not also a suit jacket. It was amazed Lapis that the little blonde could pull off the dapper look so well, but revealed herself to be a giant nerd as soon as she opened her mouth. 

Despite the fact that they were slowly warming up to the blonde, Lapis and Garnet had still agreed to keep an eye on her when they could. Garnet still said something felt off about the blonde. Lapis agreed. Even though the blonde often acted like she didn’t have a care in the world around the group, the bluenette had noticed a couple of curious things about her. For example, even though she appeared to be relaxed, Lapis could usually spot her surveilling the area around them, like she was looking out for some kind of danger. It could just be that she was concerned about the paparazzi. After all, she did have a bodyguard that her family insisted follow her everywhere. However, there were also times that Lapis caught her with this certain look in her eyes. Sometimes it looked more like anger. Other times like pain or grief. Like the smaller girl had experienced things that haunted her. 

But it would disappear in a flash as she’d turn and ask Steven about what happened on the latest show of Crying Breakfast Friends. (Though she admitted to Lapis that she didn’t understand anything about the show. Apparently, she insisted on asking because it was his favorite show and not many people took the time to listen to him talk about it.) This would leave Lapis wondering if she’d imagined the whole thing. The blonde was a conundrum. One that, as they approached the large doors of the Diamond mansion, she figured she’d have to solve later. 

She was pleasantly surprised when the door was not opened by the old judgmental butler they’d met the only other time they’d been to Peridot’s house. Usually, they would hang out with Peridot when they went to pick up Steven. The first couple of times they’d just parted ways, but then Steven had started inviting Peridot to do things with them. 

Instead of an old cranky guy, they were greeted by a young man with a bewildered, but genuine, smile. “Hello. Can I help you?” he asked. 

Pearl gave him a polite smile. “We’re here to see Peridot. We’re all going to the beach today and we came to pick her up.” 

Lapis got a bad feeling as the man’s face showed nothing but confusion. “I’m sorry, but Miss Peridot is still sleeping. To my knowledge, she’s not expecting any visitors.” 

Lapis groaned. “Steven, you didn’t ask her if she wanted to come, did you?” 

Steven looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes. “I texted her to let her know we were on our way.” 

“Barnaby? Is there a problem?” The voice came from deeper in the house. That didn’t last long as the woman who spoke approached. She was wearing a yellow business suit. She was tall and had caramel skin. Her short, yellow hair was cut into a neat pompadour type style. And she had honest-to-stars yellow eyes. The woman looked over the group, pausing to study each person. As those eyes landed on her, Lapis felt a shiver travel up her spine. Lapis was convinced that she could find this lady’s picture next to sophistication in the dictionary. Between her poise, powersuit and stern expression, Lapis was sufficiently intimidated by the woman who could only be Yellow Diamond. But it would be a cold day in hell before she showed it, so she stubbornly met the woman’s eyes. 

“Hello, Miss Diamond. It appears that Miss Peridot has guests,” Barnaby, apparently, replied, bowing. 

Yellow pursed her lips. “Well, I’m sorry to be the one to inform you of this, but my daughter is resting.” 

“Well, she was resting,” a familiar voice remarked grumpily. Lapis looked up at one of the staircases that descended into the main entrance hall, only to be met with the sight of an adorably sleepy Peridot. One hand rubbed an eye and a large yawn escaped her as she reached the bottom of the stairs. The only way to describe her normally messy hair was wild, somehow seeming to stick out in even more directions than usual. She was still wearing her pajamas, which were apparently black and green checkered pants and a black t-shirt that had a large green alien head with a red bow tie. 

Peridot took in the scene with an adorably confused look on her face. Obviously her half-asleep brain was struggling to connect her mother and butler standing in the doorway with her new friends outside her house at nine in the morning. Lapis smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Cute pajamas,” she commented teasingly. 

Realization dawned slowly but surely on Peridot’s faced. She looked from the Universes, down to her pajamas and back again, a bright blush blooming across her face. “Wow, thanks,” she sarcastically replied. 

“Peridot!” Steven exclaimed, darting into the house before the Gems could stop him. 

Yellow Diamond was a little faster, managing to gently, but firmly, grab the boy’s arm and stop him. “My daughter has told me about your propensity for hugs. Unfortunately, she had a accident the other night, so please be gentle with her.” 

“What?” Steven sounded horrified. Even Lapis eyed the smaller girl a little worriedly. 

“Mother, I’m fine,” Peridot groaned, approaching the pair. She pulled Steven in for a short side hug. “I was riding my motorcycle to a party the other night and wasn’t paying attention. Ran right into the boom gate. Other than a couple bruises, the only thing injured was my pride. And my bike. I had to get it taken to get repainted,” the small blonde explained, grimacing when she mentioned her bike’s fate. 

“You’re still supposed to be resting,” Yellow Diamond cut in. 

“So are you. It’s Saturday, why are you going to work?” Peridot retorted, raising an eyebrow. 

Yellow sighed. “Something has come up. Nothing to be concerned over, but your aunts and I have to go in for a while. They’re already waiting in the car. I really do need to leave. And you should get back to bed.” 

“Sorry, it looks like something has come up, so I don’t think I’ll be going back to sleep,” Peridot replies cheekily, gesturing to her friends with a smirk. “And I figured the other three were with you. Aunt Pink makes enough noise while she’s getting ready to wake up the whole house.” At Steven’s curious look she added, “She likes to sing. Loudly.” 

Yellow scowled. “You really shouldn’t be our and about. Your doctor said you need to rest for a couple days.” 

“We’ll stay here. It’ll be a nice, relaxing day at home just what the doctor ordered.” She looked down at Steven. “What do you think?” 

“Yeah!” he cheered, throwing his arms above his head. Then he paused frowning. “Oh. But I promised Lapis we would go to the beach and swim.” 

Peridot ran a hand through her hair. “Well, I can’t help you with the beach part, but as for swimming, we have a pool.” 

“Yay! Lapis, we can still swim!” Steven shouted excitedly. Lapis offered him a thumbs up in response. As long as there was water involved, she was content. 

Yellow sighed. “Peridot…” 

Lapis saw Peridot’s face soften and she smiled as she approached the older woman. “Mother, I’ll be fine. Barnaby and Bismuth will be here if I need anything. Really, how much trouble can I get into?” 

“And we’ll help take care of her too!” Steven added, bouncing up to the two. 

Yellow smiled down at the boy. “Well. I guess I have nothing to worry about then.” She pulled Peridot in for a gentle hug, kissing her cheek. “Have fun, darling. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.” With that she pulled back and headed out the door, ushering the rest of the Gems inside as she walked past. Lapis chuckled as she caught sight of Peridot’s blushing face, though the smaller girl’s smile said that she didn’t mind her mom showing such affection in front of her friends. 

“Barnaby, can you show everyone to the pool? I’ll be right back.” Peridot said after the door closed, turning around and heading back up the stairs. Barnaby smiled at the group and gestured for them to follow him. He led them through the mansion, passing by several rooms, of which Lapis only recognized Peridot’s game room. As soon as they walked into the indoor pool, Lapis was immediately fiercely jealous. She naturally loved water and living on the beach had been amazing when they were in Beach City. Yes, Empire City has beaches, but they were sometimes a pain in the ass to get to. So she was jealous of anyone in the big city that had beachfront property or a pool. 

The pool was large, for starters. It was oval shaped and had a large pile of what Lapis assumed was fake rocks, creating a waterfall. The room was enclosed in glass, letting natural light in. There was also a large, comfy looking hot tub to the left of the room. Even more ridiculously, there was a bar on the right side, which Lapis could see had actual alcohol. In a brilliant move, that was in a locked case. She was happy to see a fridge with things like water and soda in it as well. Since Barnaby was currently moving behind the bar and asking Steven what he wanted to drink. 

Barnaby grinned at her after catching her eye the beverage choices dubiously. “Miss Peridot is not a big fan of drinking alcohol. But the rest of the ladies of the house like to have a glass every now and then,” he explained. 

Lapis nodded in acknowledgment. She personally didn’t mind those who did drink, but the Gems tended to avoid it. Adding excessive drinking, lowered inhibitions and superpowers together tends to have rather disastrous results. As they’d learned from a particularly poor choice Amethyst made in high school. She’d caused quite a few problems, including freaking out the partygoers at the beach by shapeshifting into a shark. Lapis shuddered to think what would’ve happened if it’d been Garnet. 

Lapis was snapped out of her thoughts by Steven’s enthusiastic yell. She turned just in time to see that the boy had already taken off his shirt and was currently running towards the pool. Of course, what followed was a pretty well executed cannonball. When Steven came back up, she gave him an eight out of ten. 

A chuckle behind her caught her attention. Peridot had changed out of her pajamas (Lapis approved, good choice if you want to avoid drowning) and into a pair of black trunks and a plain green t-shirt. The smaller girl met the bluenette’s gaze before gesturing towards the pool with one hand. “After you, m’lady.” 

Lapis rolled her eyes, but did make her way over to the pool. She waited until after Amethyst had done her own cannon ball before getting in. Living with her and Steven for 11 years had rather quickly taught her that it was safer to let them get in first. It will be a cold day in hell before they don’t recklessly throw themselves into a body of water. Lapis, Garnet, Pearl and Peridot entered the pool a bit more sedately. She was slightly surprised that the water was heated. Lapis ducked under the water, enjoying the feeling of weightless. She came back up just in time to hear Amethyst say, “So, P-dot, a bike huh? You don’t really seem like the type.” 

Peridot, who had moved over to an underwater edge that acted as a sitting area, raised an eyebrow. “I told you to stop calling me that. And exactly what type do I seem like to you?” 

“The dorky type,” Amethyst replied, smirking. 

Peridot rolled her eyes. “Maybe you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. If you must know, I got it a few months ago. It was a welcome home present from an old friend.” 

“And she loves to sneak off with it, making my job ten times harder.” Lapis turned to see Bismuth coming into the room. The large woman casually sat on one of the pool chairs, reclining back with her hands behind her head. Lapis thought the relaxed look combined with the rainbow haired woman’s signature suit looked kind of weird. 

“Well, you can’t really do much bodyguarding following me on the bike. Driving it is half the fun. And if you ride behind me we are going to get a lot of weird looks.” Peridot tilted her head back, expression thoughtful. “Maybe I could get you a sidecar.” 

The strange image caused startled laughter from Steven and Amethyst. Lapis, Garnet and Pearl were not immune, however, letting out of few startled chuckles of their own. She saw a blush spread across Bismuth’s face. “Not a chance. And if I was there, _I _wouldn’t have let you run into a boom gate and bust your a-butt.” Bismuth quickly corrected herself, glancing at Steven.__

__Lapis lost interest in the conversation after that. She enjoyed swimming while she had the chance, gracefully moving around the pool. One of the best parts of her powers was that Lapis could stay under the water as long as she liked. Her body was able to absorb oxygen from the water. The unfortunate part was that she was usually always around strangers whenever she was swimming, so she always made sure to rise to the surface often enough to keep up appearances. She’d learned that lesson shortly after going to live with the Universes. She’d almost given the entire community pool membership heart attacks the first time they went, staying under for a few minutes straight. Long enough for people to start screaming and the lifeguard to dive in trying to save her. Luckily, Rose had been quick to rush to her new daughter’s aid before she could use her powers to force the teenager to let her go. A quick-thinking performance of a frantic, grateful mother whose daughter’s leg had cramped was distracting enough to take the attention off the young Lapis, who was strangely calm for a young girl who’d almost drowned. The fierce glare on her face probably didn’t help her case._ _

__She managed to convince the others to stay in the pool for a couple of hours before the promise of food pulled them back into the house. First, Peridot led them to an area where they could all quickly shower and change clothes before heading to the kitchen. In the kitchen, the met the chef, Angela. She was a tall, friendly lady with dark hair. “Miss Peridot, who are your friends?” she asked, coming over to give the young blonde a hug._ _

__Peridot grinned. “These four go to the same college as me. This is Garnet, Lapis, Pearl and Amethyst. And this is their little brother-”_ _

__Steven bounces up to Ángela, waving enthusiastically. “Hi! My name is Steven!”_ _

__Angela laughed. “It’s nice to meet you, Steven.” Turning her attention back to Peridot, she raised an eyebrow. “Barnaby sent your order in an hour ago. I know you have a healthy appetite, but are you planning on feeding an army?” she playfully asked._ _

__Peridot simply smiled. “What can I say? I’m excited. It’s been a while since we’ve had guests that aren’t Diamond Corp. related and I wanted to treat my friends to your amazing cooking.”_ _

__Angela chuckled and shook her head before shooing them out of the kitchen. Peridot led them to a large dining room. Shortly after they all sat down, Angela, Barnaby and a few others started bringing out mountains of food. Peridot insisted her guests take as much as they want, something that the Crystal Gems were grateful for. Their mutant biology tended to burn through a lot of calories, meaning that they had to eat way more than a normal human. Lapis noticed that Peridot also at a rather large portion. She wondered where the small blonde put it all._ _

__After they were done eating, Peridot led them to her rec room. The Crystal Gems spread out from there; Garnet and Pearl claimed a couple recliners as their own. Steven and Amethyst dragged two gaming chairs in front of the tv, carefully arranging them to get the best view without blocking the others. Which left Lapis and Peridot on the couch. After deliberating for a few minutes, they all agreed to try to find something to watch on tv. Peridot turned the tv on before flipping through the channels. After hearing nothing but a chorus of “no”s for the first ten channels, she paused on a news channel._ _

__“No way are we watching the news! It’s so boring!” Amethyst complained. Peridot ignored her and turned up the volume. Pearl’s gasp drew the others attention to the story on the news. A male news anchor was talking. Lapis recognized him as a popular anchor, but she didn’t remember his name. He had dark skin and eyes, with short hair and a close cut beard. She remembered that he was known for being a kind man and a great journalist who was never afraid to shy away from the truth. He’d approached Rose once for an interview on a case she was working. He’d been determined, but had ultimately been respectful and understanding when she refused to budge or comment. Which was more than could be said for a lot of the press she dealt with._ _

__“It seems Empire City’s dark vigilante might have friends. New security footage shows the mysterious rogue working with four other individuals. The footage shows these vigilantes aiding firefighters in putting out an apartment fire and getting the residents to safety. Investigations into the apartment fire have revealed evidence of possible arson. Luckily, there were no major casualties. We were able to get a statement from one of the residents, who said that if these heroes had been there, he and his girlfriend would not be alive today. Travis Whitley says he and many others were trapped on the roof of the apartment building, desperately calling for help.”_ _

__The screen cut to a young man covered in soot. “I thought I was going to die. The firefighters were trying to get to us, but they were having problems controlling the fire. Then, out of nowhere, there’s a person on a hoverboard and a huge purple gorilla. We let them get the women and kids first. If it wasn’t for them, we probably wouldn’t have made it. These guys get a bad rap from the police, but I owe my life to them.”_ _

__Lapis saw Amethyst and Steven grin proudly at each other. Lapis looked over at Pearl and Garnet. Garnet was completely stoic, but Lapis and Pearl exchanged worried looks. The bluenette was not a big fan of having the attention of a major news network. She had a bad feeling about this. They cut back to the news anchor. “With us today we have Chief of Police Diego Ramirez. Chief Ramirez, does the police believe that these vigilantes are working together, or was this just a coincidence?”_ _

__Lapis looked at Garnet, startled. She _definitely _didn’t like having the police chief’s attention. Garnet’s pursed lips gave Lapis the impression she agreed. Chief Ramirez was a large, stern looking man. He’d probably rival Bismuth in height and strength. “All of the reports we’ve gotten about Archer’s activities point to them working alone. That being said, the vigilante often disables security cameras for the duration of his or her activities, so we are not ruling anything out,” he replied in a calm, deep voice.___ _

___“One of Diamond Corp.’s warehouses is near there. Excuse me, I need to go call my mother. If some nut job is burning down buildings in the area, she’ll want to know,” Peridot said, rising from the couch and hurrying out of the room. Bismuth followed her out, but Lapis and the others barely acknowledged them._ _ _

___“Surveys show that more and more citizens are starting to consider these vigilantes, especially Archer, heroes. In fact, there are some that are saying that the police should stop trying to catch these vigilantes and instead let them continue.” the anchor continued._ _ _

___“This is bad, right?” Amethyst asked nervously. “This seems bad.”_ _ _

___“Guys?” Steven asked uncertainly._ _ _

___“Is there a question there?” Ramirez asked, scowling._ _ _

___“I was just wondering if you had a comment or if you could let the public know your thoughts on the issue.”_ _ _

___“Look. While I am happy that the residents in that apartment were safely evacuated, what these criminals did is dangerous. They are not trained to handle situations like this. We don’t know who they are or what their motivations are. Meaning when they hurt someone, criminal or not, they can’t be held accountable. There’s a reason police officers don’t patrol the streets in a mask. What if people try to follow in their footsteps? What if kids try? They’re going to get themselves killed. These people are not heroes, they are criminals that have decided to take the law into their own hands.”_ _ _

___“Garnet?” Pearl asked uncertainly. Garnet didn’t respond. This was the first time they’d ever made the news like this. The most media attention they got in Beach City was an article in the newspaper when they first started. They weren’t even front page news._ _ _

___“But you can’t deny they’ve done some good. What about-” the anchor cut himself off, looking at something offscreen. “What? Are you sure?” he asked. After apparently getting confirmation, he turned to the camera. “It seems that Archer themselves has called into the station.” The Gems exchanged startled looks.___

___“What?” Ramirez growled, sitting up in his chair. “Now hold on-”_ _ _

___“Archer? Can you hear me? You’re on the air.” the anchor said. Ramirez was currently trying to flare a hole into the anchor’s head. “Hello, Kellom. Or can I call you Jadon?” a familiar modulated voice said. _Ah. So that’s what his name is, _Lapis thought.___ _ _

___The anchor tried to hide a smile. “Jadon is fine. You know, I’ve been trying to figure out how to get you on air for a while now.”_ _ _

___“Well, I’m happy to make your wishes come true, but unfortunately I’m mostly here to talk to Ramirez.”_ _ _

___“What do you want?” he snapped._ _ _

___“Well, you seemed pretty interested in these newbies. I might’ve been a little jealous. Am I not interesting enough for you anymore?” Even with the modulation, Lapis could tell that Archer was mocking the man._ _ _

___“If you’re not going to be serious, then I have nothing to say to you.”_ _ _

___Archer sighed. “Very well. Tell me, Chief. If I’m doing your department’s jobs even better than they can, why would I need to team up with anyone? I’d like to think I’ve been doing pretty well for myself.”_ _ _

___Lapis swore the guy was about to burst a blood vessel, his face was so red. This had gone from mildly terrifying to entertaining rather quickly. And on a deeper level, she appreciated Archer for stepping in the limelight and getting the attention off them. Although, she didn’t know anything about the other vigilante, so it was possible that their ego had been bruised. Who knows?_ _ _

___“I think it says a lot about you that your ego is what drew you out. You’re not doing the police’s job! You are a menace to society and-”_ _ _

___“I wasn’t done yet,” Archer interrupted. “I can understand the concern for others trying to fight crime. And I’d encourage people to not follow in my example. However, they do the same thing with police officers. Ever heard of citizens arrest? Puts people in just as much danger.”_ _ _

___Lapis could see a vein bulging out on Ramirez’s forehead. “That’s not-”_ _ _

___“Still not done, Chief. Jadon, you and I have something in common. We both hate hypocrisy.” Jadon raised an eyebrow, nodding along. “That’s true. But where is this going?”_ _ _

___“You see, I decided to start cleaning up this city for a reason. Because you can’t trust all of the cops and other officials in this city. Don’t get me wrong, most of them are great. They’re heroes who risk their lives everyday for the people of this city. But there are also a select few that are on criminals’ payrolls. So what would happen if these criminals were able to get to the top officials? The ones who call the shots, who these brave men and women answer to. Who polices them?”_ _ _

___“Where is this going, Archer?” Jadon asked. The anchor had started out amused, but became more and more serious as Archer talked._ _ _

___“Enough of this! You can’t be taking this guy seriously? He’s obviously a narcissistic individual who thrives on attention!” Ramirez snapped, slamming his hand on the counter._ _ _

___“Hmm. Sounds like someone’s losing their temper. Hey, Jadon, did you know the Chief has an offshore bank account? He hid it well, but I traced it. He just recently had $250,000 dollars transferred to this account. Says here it was for ‘home renovations’. I wonder what the good ol’ Chief renovated. And I wonder where he got the money from. I wasn’t aware police chief paid so well.” Kellom was now staring down Ramirez, who’d become pale. “It’s doubly interesting when your wife said you weren’t planning any renovations. She was quite disturbed when I showed her all this.”_ _ _

___“That’s ridiculous! You’re lying!” Ramirez shouted, completely losing his cool. He jabbed a finger at Kellom. “And I can’t believe your listening to this, let alone allowing this! I’m done. This interview is over.”_ _ _

___“You’re not going anywhere, Chief. I’m still not done.” Archer dropped the mocking, inquisitive tone they’d been using. Ramirez started to leave, but was suddenly blocked by a group of men. Based on the way they were dressed, Lapis guessed they were crew. “You see, I did some more digging. Again, the trail was pretty well hidden, but I was able to trace the money back to Gorman Industries, owned by one Neil Gorman. Seems they were interested in buying the apartment building in question, but the owner wouldn’t budge. The nice old man didn’t want so many people to lose their homes._ _ _

___“I had most of these puzzle pieces before today. But I hadn’t made the connection between Gorman and the apartment complex until today. When I saw you on the tv, I wondered why you decided to do an interview on an apartment fire of all things. Especially before it’s even been officially confirmed that the fire was started by an arsonist. So I want to thank you for connecting the dots for me. The evidence tells me that what you tried, and failed, to do was turn the attention away from the fire itself and to the vigilantes that helped save people. Here’s what happened. Gorman paid you to turn the other cheek or try to cover for him. When you realized that our presence would bring extra news coverage, you and Gorman panicked over the extra exposure. So you decided to try to use it to your advantage and come do an interview for Jadon. You and/or Gorman probably figured that you would be able to guide the coverage where you wanted it to go.”_ _ _

___Suddenly, the sound of pounding feet and loud voices echoed throughout the newsroom. Lapis and the others watched as a SWAT team rushed the police chief, separating him from innocent bystanders and slapping handcuffs on him. Jadon and the rest of the crew could be seen looking on in shock as the corrupt chief was arrested._ _ _

___“You see Jadon, Chief, I don’t like hypocrites. And seeing a corrupt police chief come on a respectable news channel accusing others of being criminals while he willing looked the other way as people lost their homes and almost lost their lives? Seeing him act all high and mighty knowing he didn’t care if those people lived or died? That pissed me off. I refuse to sit by and let the people of this city and the brave men and women who serve it be put in harm’s way for the profit of someone they are supposed to be able to trust. So, I want to thank you and your network, Jadon, for letting me come on and stall long enough to send off the evidence and give these nice men and women the time they needed to get there and take this man to the cage people like him belong in.” Archer finished. A click signaled that the vigilante had disconnected the call._ _ _

___Jadon was speechless. Lapis could relate. Ramirez looked like he was in shock. The despondent man didn’t even try to struggle as the SWAT team lead him away. The cameras followed him until he left the room. Then the camera went back to Jadon, who still didn’t look like he’d recovered. A throat cleared, snapping the anchor out of whatever thoughts he was having._ _ _

___Jadon straightened in his chair. “This is obviously very shocking for all of us. We will follow this matter closely and make sure that you are all kept up-to-date on these shocking circumstances.” The anchor leaned forward, staring seriously into the camera. “And I want to thank Archer for saving those people and following up on a fire that many people probably wouldn’t have looked twice at. Thank you for protecting our city and the people who serve it. And I want to give a sincere thank you to the men and women that came here today and insured we were all safe.”_ _ _

___The man went to commercial break just as Peridot came back in the room. She plopped down on the couch, sighing heavily. “Sorry that took so long.” Lapis barely heard her, still staring dumbfounded at the TV. A nudge to her shoulder snapped her out of it. Turning to Peridot, she saw the other girl looking at her, an eyebrow raised in question. “What did I miss? You all look like you’ve seen a ghost.”_ _ _

___Lapis looked around as the others snapped out of their dazes, exchanging shocked expressions. When Peridot repeated her question, Amethyst and Steven jumped up and started talking at the same time, filling her in. (The latter with a star-struck expression on his face as he described how cool Archer was.) Peridot somehow followed along, which Lapis was impressed by. The small blonde became more dumbfounded as she listened._ _ _

___“Holy shit,” she said._ _ _

___“Dude!” “Peridot!” Amethyst and Pearl shouted at the same time, the smaller Gem slapping her hands over Steven’s ears._ _ _

___“Sorry. But also, he’s fourteen. He probably hears worse at school.”_ _ _

___“He’s still our little brother,” Lapis pointed out. The argument was weak, but herself and the others had been overprotective of their brother for years. That probably wasn’t going to change anytime soon._ _ _

___“But seriously, the Chief? Someone paid off the Chief? And he accepted? What was he thinking?” Peridot asked, head slowly shaking in disbelief. “Obviously, he was thinking he wouldn’t get caught,” Garnet replied._ _ _

___Everyone jumped as a ringtone went off, the loud noise piercing through the quiet room. Garnet pulled out her phone. She answered and Lapis realized she was talking to Rose. Most of the conversation was Garnet nodding and humming in agreement. She finally hung up and stood. “We’re heading back home.”_ _ _

___“Aw, but Garnet…” Steven whined._ _ _

___“Put your butts away, Steven. Rose wants us home.”_ _ _

___“That’s a good idea, actually,” Peridot chimed in. “The police chief was just arrested for taking bribes and endangering people. There’s a lot of people out there who are going to be angry. And angry people do stupid things, so it’s probably safer to go home for now.”_ _ _

___After a quick goodbye, the Gems we’re heading out the door. Lapis looked back just in time to see Peridot and Bismuth one more time before Barnaby shut the door. They were huddled close together, talking to each other quietly, faces deadly serious. As Lapis slid into the van behind Amethyst, she couldn’t get that image out of her mind._ _ _


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait. I actually had a hard time with this chapter. I know where I want the story to go, but I’m still trying to figure out how to get it there. I knew what I wanted this chapter to be, but I was not happy with the first few attempts. Hopefully, you guys like it.

The Gems dropped Steven off at home before heading back out. They’d all agreed that it would be a good idea to go on patrol. Having the police chief in custody would definitely piss some people off and embolden others. They figured it would be a good idea to make sure the good guys had as much backup as possible. Steven complained about them leaving early before insisting they tell him everything when they get back. He was determined to join his sisters as a Crystal Gem when he got older. Something that they were not agreeable with, being the protective older sisters they were.

They quickly made their way to base. Walking in, the four stopped in unison as they spotted someone sitting on the couch. The person was wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans and a pair of black tennis shoes. A black mask covered their face. The mask had a black visor that hid the person’s eyes.

“Who the hell are you?” Amethyst shouted angrily.

“And what are you doing here?” Garnet added, voice low and dangerous.

“Such a harsh welcome. It’s almost like you’re not happy to see me,” a rather familiar, irritating modulated voice replied.

“Archer?” Lapis asked, half surprised, half annoyed.

“The one and only. Don’t change yet. Just grab your gear. We’ve got a lot to do, and not very much time to do it in,” they said. The small rogue threw a few duffle bags at the Gems. They complied, but not before both Lapis and Amethyst mentioned how creepy and stalkerish their behavior was.

When they returned to the main room, Archer waved the Gems to follow them. “We’re going to the bus stop down the street. It’ll be faster than walking.”

“Alright, seriously. Why are you actin’ all shady?” Amethyst asked.

“Because we’re going to my base. One I would like to not advertise the location for. And five known vigilantes flying around it in broad daylight is going to be a bit telling,” they replied. “I have some gear and information there we’ll need. Prism is getting everything ready. Now let’s go!”

Archer left, the others sharing shocked looks before following along. Lapis herself wasn’t sure what to make of this. Archer knowing their base and their identities was one thing. They’d figured all that out for themselves. But she wouldn’t have ever imagined Archer bringing the Gems into their space.

“Aren’t people going to be suspicious when they see your mask?” Lapis pointed out as they approached the bus stop. “Last time I checked, fashion accessories like that tend to be associated with criminals.”

Archer scoffed. “This is Empire City. As long as you keep your head down and try not to be a dick, not one pays any attention. I got all the way to your base in this getup and no one stopped me.”

As they got on the bus, Archer lead them towards the back. They stood in front of the door, Archer purposely standing so that they faced towards the window. They rode six stops before the smaller vigilante ushered them out of the bus. They lead them down the street for a couple blocks before ducking into an alleyway. They jumped a fence before ducking into a small, abandoned building. The building was rather empty. Lapis and the others followed Archer as they approached a side door, punching in the key before ushering the Gems down the stairs.

“Are we sure Archer isn’t a serial killer trying to kidnap us?” Amethyst whispered to Lapis. The bluenette rolled her eyes, nudging the small Latina.

They entered the basement and Lapis couldn’t help but blink in surprise. There was a table set up with several different computers and other pieces of equipment Lapis didn’t recognize. On the far wall hung different types of weapons, some alien in origin. Dumbbells and other workout equipment was scattered around and targets were set up along another wall. Lapis could see training dummies and punching bags piled in one corner. A grinding wheel sat next to another table, a pile of new arrows sat next to it. All along that table were different kinds of arrows, though what each was Lapis wasn’t sure. There was even some medical equipment tucked away near on of the corners of the room.

“You have alien weapons? Are you crazy? If you’re caught with those you’ll go to jail!” Pearl said, hands gesturing frantically as she began to stress out.

“If they get this far, I’d likely go to jail anyways for vigilantism. Besides, they’re for research purposes only. These are Vravak weapons, specifically. They are the most common types of alien weapons in Empire City. I’m hoping if I can figure out how they work, I can make an armor that would protect against its blasts. Same thing with the knives and swords. Alien made blades cut through even the toughest Earth armor like butter. It would be nice if we could figure out how to protect people against it. Speaking of which I’d like all of you to try and find a secondary weapon you can use. You all rely on your powers too much.” The smaller vigilante looked up at Garnet, hands on her hips. “Well, not you. You’re enough of a weapon all on your own.”

“That’s rude,” Garnet responded, though there was no bite to her words.

“So is almost breaking someone’s shoulder,” Archer replied. “Still haven’t forgotten about that.”

“Why would we need weapons? We’ve done fine on our own so far,” Pearl said.

“Well, using your powers has drawbacks, right? If you use them too much, you have some kind of reaction?”

“Well, that is true. If I use my lasers too much, I get fatigued. If I continue trying, then I can lose consciousness and slip into a coma.” Pearl admitted, looking at Peridot with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

Archer nodded. Turning to the others, she asked, “What about you?”

“I get dehydrated.”

“I become a speed shifter.”

“I get hungry.”

They all responded at the same time. Pearl groaned, face palming. “What they mean to say is Lapis gets dangerously dehydrated. Amethyst loses control of her shapeshifting for a couple hours, constantly shifting from one form to the next. Garnet burns more energy than the rest of us. If she doesn’t keep up with it, she starts to lose her strength and endurance.”

“Hmm. I might be able to help you with that,” Archer told Garnet. To the rest of the Crystal Gems, she said, “You work well as a team, but you can’t always be there for each other. And relying solely on your powers is a bad, potientally fatal idea. If you start experiencing those side effects in a combat situation...well, a cold blooded criminal isn’t going to think twice about killing you while you’re down. You two,” she continued gesturing at Lapis and Pearl, “have powers that give you good long and mid-range attacks. But in a close combat situation, you’re pretty vulnerable. And you, Amethyst, have forms that give you an advantage up close, but you can’t do much damage from a distance. I want to give you equipment that will fill in these gaps and be something you can fall back on if you reach your limit with your powers. It’ll make you better protected in the long run. But we’ll worry about that later.”

Archer walked over to the table that had their arrows on it, grabbed a few things and came back over to the Crystal Gems. They handed Lapis a small square object. She recognized it as the shield that they gave Pearl the other day. Lapis pressed the button on top curiously. The device instantly activated, parts of it sliding and shifting. A strap wrapped around her arm and within moments she was holding the bulletproof riot shield. Another press of the button reduced it back to its box form, which she stuck in a pouch on her belt. Pearl had insisted on adding them to their uniforms after she saw how useful they were for Archer. “Told you I’d get you one of those,” Archer said.

They turned to Amethyst next. “I also managed to find a solution to your headset problem.” They took a small object and pressed it into Amethyst’s skin, near her temple. “Now, it’s _extremely_ important that you do not try to take this off without using this.” Archer waved a bottle in front of Amethyst’s face, making sure she was paying attention. “That is a very strong adhesive and it’ll rip your skin off if you try to take it off without this. It’s a solution that I made to dissolve the glue. All you have to do is apply a little bit of it, either with a q-tip or rag or something like it, and it’ll dissolve and allow you to take the headset off.”

“Oh great, so if I lose that, this’ll be stuck on my face forever. I can’t damage my money maker!” Amethyst did not seem happy with this arrangement.

Lapis got the strong feeling that if they could see Archer’s face, the other vigilante would be rolling their eyes. “Then don’t lose it.”

Amethyst took the bottle, looked at it for a second and tossed it to Pearl. The peach-haired girl scrambled to catch it, more out of surprise than anything else. “Amethyst!” she scolded. She seemed to decide against a lecture, instead simply storing the bottle in her belt.

Archer turned to her. “I’ve got something for you too.” Archer handed Pearl an object that Lapis recognized as the hoverboard in sleep mode. She also handed Pearl a new pair of boots. The boots were the same color pink as the ones Pearl currently owned and the hoverboard matched her aqua blue suit. “The boots have metal in their soles. Not enough to add unnecessary weight or throw you off balance. When you activate the board, it’ll use magnets to keep you on the board.”

“So that’s how you stay on there,” Lapis said thoughtfully.

Archer turned to look at her, head tilted. “Of course. How else would I do it? Now, into your suits. Like I said, we have a lot to do.” Archer showed them to a room off to the side that they could use to change. By the time they came back, the other vigilante was in their full gear and seemed to be double checking their quiver. Another figure stood next to them. A rather large figure. When they turned to face them, Lapis could see that they were wearing an armored suit as well. They had dark black boots and burgundy pants. A dark, long sleeved top covered their upper half with large spikes on the shoulders. In the center of their chest was a square symbol made up of rainbow colored layers. The design made the square look almost concave. They also wore a helmet that covered the top and sides of their head. A darkish pink/light burgundy visor covered their eyes, but their mouth was left exposed, revealing their dark skin.

“There’s the infamous Crystal Gems! I’ve heard a lot about you. Well, a lot when it comes to this one. Archer’s like a steel trap when they want to be,” the newcomer said, tone friendly as she approached. She shook all their hands, starting with Titan. “It’s nice to meet you guys and I’m sure it’ll be even better working with you. I’m Prism.” As soon as she started talking, Leviathan realized two things. One, Prism wasn’t using a modulator. Two, despite their bulky, large, kinda intimidating form, they were actually a she.

“Hey! At least you’re a lot friendlier than Archer. And you so far don’t act like a stalker, so that’s a plus,” Purple Puma said enthusiastically.

“Don’t mind Archer. They’re a little rough around the edges, but really they’re a big softie. That why they’re trying so hard to help you guys out. Can’t stand good people getting hurt,” Prism replied quietly. Leviathan couldn’t see her eyes, but from the way she moved, the bluenette was sure the large woman had just winked at them.

“Enough buddy bonding, we have work to do. The police chief is behind bars and criminals are going to take this as an opportunity. They will think the police are not going to be as diligent as usual. So we are going to provide support and show them that the good guys are out in force tonight. If we nip this in the bud now, then maybe the next few days won’t be crime sprees galore as the justice department scrambles to get organized again,” Archer said. “Our first stop is a bank robbery.” Archer started to make their way up the stairs, muttering to themselves.

The others safely assumed they were supposed to follow the rogue. Once they made their way back out onto the street, they got ready to leave. Purple Puma shifted into a large hawk and Nebula, Archer and Prism all pulled out hoverboards. Leviathan summoned her water wings and Titan just used her super strength to launch herself around.

“Bank robbery has turned into a car chase,” Archer informed the others through their headsets. “Turn left, we’re about two minutes out.”

Sure enough, a couple minutes later they saw the car chase going on. The getaway car was being followed by four different cop cars. In the back seat, two men were leaning out of the car’s windows, firing handguns at the police cars. Leviathan watched Archer and Prism swoop down in perfect sync. They approached the gunmen from behind and grabbed the back of their shirts, snatching them right out of the car. The men’s terrified screams filled the night air.

A third man leaned out of the passenger side window, firing wildly up at the retreating vigilantes. Leviathan figures if he wasn’t smart enough to learn from his friends mistakes, he deserved the same treatment. It didn’t take long before she was clutching a screaming, thrashing thug. Titan, meanwhile, launched herself in front of the car. The driver tried to swerve around her, but the large woman simple grabbed the vehicle, picking it up like it was a toy. Once he figured out his getaway car was not going to actually get away, the driver opened the driver’s door. Titan caught him as he fell out, holding him up like a kitten as she gently set the car down with her other hand.

The police cars stopped and the officers scrambled out. Archer, Prism and Leviathan all came down, hovering near Titan. Leviathan has to fight to keep herself from laughing at the officers dumbfounded faces. To their credit, they recovered from their shock pretty quickly, moving forward to secure the criminals. Leviathan notes with interest that despite them being surrounded Titan and Prism, who were definitely more physically intimidating than they were, the cops seemed to regard Archer with the most caution.

“Thanks for the help,” an older officer said gruffly. Leviathan saw Archer nod and Prism gave the guy a huge grin, striking a standard superhero pose as she did. Leviathan and Titan simply offered the staring officers a thumbs up before they all joined Nebula and Purple Puma.

“I’m surprised they didn’t try to arrest us. Or at the very least you,” Prism said, gesturing towards Archer.

“Don’t confuse caution for approval. They just watched Titan treat a one ton vehicle like a Matchbox car. They knew they’d need a hell of a lot more man power to take us in,” Archer replied. “Three of us holding still-screeching grown men we could’ve splattered on the pavement probably helped the intimidation factor.”

“Should we even be trying to intimidate the police in the first place? We should be showing them we want to help!” Nebula pointed out. “It’s natural for people to treat the unknown with fear. It’ll take time for people to learn we only want to help. And even if you get more public approval, that doesn’t mean that the police will ever stop trying to catch us. What’s most important is making sure people are safe and criminals are where they belong,” Archer replied.

They patrolled for a while, catching some small time criminals and would-be thieves. Prism also managed to catch a purse snatcher. She’d caught sight of him before he attempted it and positioned herself perfectly. As he turned to bolt off, he found his way blocked by a massive figure who suddenly had a hammer for one hand. That’s how they learned that Prism was like them, though she’d been created a few years before the Gems were. Apparently she had a few different abilities, but the main one was being able to shift her hands into various weapons and tools.

They learned about the durability of her weapons when they caught a drug dealer who’d been trying to sell to teenagers. The woman unwisely decided to make a run for it, trying to escape in her car. With a battle cry on par with Titan’s, she slammed one of her hammers on the car’s hood. It crumpled under the force. And so did the engine underneath it. And so did the concrete around the front of the car. Really, Leviathan kind of thought the woman was lucky that she only had a broken nose from the airbag when the cops came to get her. If Archer’s hands-on-hips pose they gave Prism after the group left was anything to go by, the rogue agreed that it was a bit overkill. Though, maybe not, since Prism got away without having to suffer through a lecture.

As they moved, they came across some protesters in front of the police station and some more in front of the mayor’s office. When the others asked, Titan and Archer agreed to leave them alone for now. Archer argued that peaceful protest was allowed, and while there were some instances of people jeering and hurling insults, the majority of protesters were fine. They did believe that the group should keep a close eye on the protestors and keep an ear out for trouble over the police scanner. “That’s the problem with rage and fear. They’re like a wildfire, easily spread and extremely destructive if not managed,” they said, watching the protestors closely.

They moved on, patrolling for a few more hours. They came across quite a few small time criminals, easily dispatching them and leaving them for the police to collect. The group had just passed over another rooftop when Archer abruptly changed direction. It was quick enough that Purple Puma, distracted by the sudden movement, flew straight into Leviathan. The bluenette grabbed the now-owl-formed vigilante and held her at arm's length. Once her vision was cleared of feathers, she saw Archer crouching on a rooftop a couple buildings away, hoverboard under one arm.

When the others joined them, they saw her watching a group of three hooded figures walking down the street. The vigilantes were able to hear their conversation as they approached.

“Man, I don’t know about this. Are you sure this is a good idea?” The nervous speaker was wearing a red hood.

“Come on, this’ll be fun! We’ll take a spin and bring it right back. No one will ever know,” the green hooded figure responded.

“I mean, the busted window is probably going to be a big clue.” That snippy comment came from a guy wearing a black hoodie. All the men were approaching a rather nice looking car.

Purple Puma punched one of her hands, grinning. “Alright! Let’s do this!” she said, luckily keeping her voice quiet enough for the would-be auto thieves to hear.

Archer put a hand on her shoulder. “Wait,” they said. “Don’t be rash.”

The rogue put away their hoverboard and waited until the group moved towards the car before jumping down, landing behind the thieves. They were too absorbed in their crime to hear the light thud of the vigilante‘s landing. “What do you think you’re doing?” Archer asked, just as one of them raised a tire iron to break one of the car’s windows.

Leviathan was surprised to hear that their voice wasn’t angry or intimidating, like with most criminals the green-clad rogue addressed. It sounded authoritative, but in the way an adult would scold a...kid. _Ah. Got it,_ she thought.

The boys yelped, quickly turning to face Archer. The one in the green hoodie charged, swinging at the vigilante with the tire iron. Archer simply stepped to the side, letting the boy run past them. They grabbed the back of his hoodie, throwing him back to the other boys so he landed on his ass. He lost his grip on the fire iron, which skidded beside the boy in the blue hood. The unwise kid reached down to try and grab it, only for an arrow to whiz by his Armand slam into the tool, sending it flying down the sidewalk. The boy yelled in fright as he stumbled backwards, almost tripping over the boy in the green hood.

The red-hooded kid raised his hands saying, “Please, don’t shoot!”

Archer sighed, putting their bow away. “I’m not going to shoot a bunch of stupid kids.”

“We’re not kids!” Green Hoodie snapped, though his voice cracked halfway through. _How old are these idiots,_ Leviathan wondered.

“Really? ‘Cause you sure are acting like it! There’s not a lot of adults I know that try to go joyriding. What are your names?” Archer growled. The boys hesitated and they took a step toward them. “Don’t make me ask again.”

“Josh. And that’s Trevor and Greg,” Red Hoodie said, gesturing to Green and Blue Hoodie.

“Dude!” Trevor protested.

“Why were you idiots trying to steal a car?”

“We weren’t. We were just trying to take a walk,” Greg argued.

“And the tire iron?” Archer asked, gesturing at the tool.

“For protection. This isn’t the best neighborhood at night.”

Archer pointed at him. “Nice try. And you’re right, this isn’t a great neighborhood. Which is why there are plenty of cameras that caught you trying to commit grand theft auto. Tell me, do any of you know the legal consequences of that? Up to a year in jail. Not to mention a bunch of fines that your parents would have to pay. And if I was a cop, that little stunt you pulled, Trevor, could’ve gotten you assault on a police officer and another year in jail.”

Two of the boys faces were still hidden, but Leviathan could see Trevor’s face turn white. Obviously, these kids hadn’t thought through the consequences of their actions.

“You know what else could’ve happened? You could’ve been shot. By me, or by the police later on. You could’ve crashed the car. Do any of you even have a license? What if you crashed into someone else? You could’ve seriously injured or even killed them. That would definitely send you to jail and you would have to live the rest of your lives knowing that you killed someone. That you took someone away from their family or friends. Or you could’ve died! And for what? A little bit of an adrenaline rush?”

As Archer’s lecture continued, they moved closer to the boys, who scrambled back. Unfortunately, they ended up trapped by the very car they were going to steal, caught between a small, angry vigilante and a hard place. Archer got close enough to jerk the other boys hoodies down, revealing their faces. They looked to be about Steven’s age.

Josh and Greg were looking at the angry rogue, shamefaced and scared. When he had nowhere else to go, Trevor looked down, like he was trying to pretend none of this was happening. Archer snapped at him, “Look at me when I’m talking to you! What did you think was going to happen? How could you possibly have thought that this was a good idea?”

“We just wanted to have some fun. We weren’t hurting anyone.” Trevor argued stubbornly.

“Oh really? What about the person who owns this car? Best case scenario, they have to pay to get their window fixed. Worst case scenario, they lose their car because a bunch of stupid kids crashed it. Or what about your parents? The best they get off is paying a ton of legal fees and fines to try to keep you out of jail. Or maybe they get to mourn their kids who got themselves killed while they were trying to have a little fun. What about your friends? I heard enough to know this was your idea,” the rogue jams a finger in his chest, “What if you got them sent to jail, or hurt, or killed? Are you ready to live with that?”

As Archer lectured them, the boys started to cry, looking more and more guilty as the green-clad vigilante went on. They sighed as they looked at the remorseful kids. “Which if you lives the closest? I’m taking you home.” The boys frantically tried to protest, like only kids faced with the wrath of their parents could. “I’m not going to ask you twice,” Archer said, crossing their arms.

The kids gave in, with Trevor finally admitting he lived a couple blocks away. Archer gestured for the boys to walk with them, but not before commenting, “Try to run and I’ll make you wish you were never born.” The Crystal Gems and Prism followed, ready to snatch up one of the boys if they tried to run off. Leviathan was surprised when Archer continued talking to the boys. “Do you know why I do what I do?” they asked.

“Because you get to shoot bad people?” Trevor guessed.

“No. That’s actually my least favorite part. I don’t like hurting people.”

Greg tried next. “Because you get to be a hero?”

“Nope. I don’t consider myself to be very heroic.”

Josh was the last one to guess, his answer more quiet and timid than the others. “Because you get to do the right thing?”

Archer pointed at him. “Closer, but not quite. It’s because I believe in this city. And the people who live in it.” At their confused looks, the rogue continued, “I love this city and its people. I think that so much good has come from it and can continue to do so. However, it’s also got bad parts. Corruption and crime that is spreading and becoming more prevalent with each passing day. I want to save this city from itself. I want to make it a place where people can grow and thrive. Where kids like you can grow and thrive.”

Archer looked at the boys and though Leviathan couldn’t see their face, she thought their tone seemed sad and wistful. “I want Empire City to be a place where young people like you can reach their full potential. Where you can fulfill your dreams and make this world a better place. I want Empire City and its people to inspire others. Not corrupt them and encourage them to make terrible choices that could land them in jail or cost them their lives. There’s a lot of corruption in this city. But that’s something I can help fix. And you can help to.

“Not by doing what I do. That’s dangerous and stupid in its own way. But you can be better. All of you are at a crossroads in life. One where you can choose to go down the path of corruption. Where you can be consumed with hatred, or greed, or fear and you can spread those feelings to others. Or, you can choose to be better. To be kind and honorable. To spread happiness and hope to those around you. I can’t make that choice for you. Neither can your parents or your friends. Only you can make that choice.”

“Damn. I think Archer missed their calling as a motivational speaker,” Purple Puma commented quietly.

“Archer says stuff like that a lot. About belief in a better future, or being better, or inspiring others,” Prism replied. “They’re small, but they’ve got a lot of love stuffed in them.”

Leviathan nodded thoughtfully. She was intrigued by this small peak into Archer’s thoughts. The other vigilante was an enigma to those around them. The fact that they tended to be an aloof smartass didn’t help. However, it seemed the more time she spent around them, the more puzzle pieces fell into place.

Archer and the boys finally made it to a moderately sized house. The rogue knocked on the front door, which opened to reveal a woman. She had the same hair and facial structure as Trevor. Needless to say, she was a little shocked and unnerved to see the infamous vigilante on her doorstep with her son and his friends. “Hello,” she said cautiously, with a hint of suspicion. “This is going to sound rude, but what the hell are you doing on the porch with my son?”

“Uh-oh. Mama bear mode: activated,” Purple Puma muttered to Leviathan.

She nodded. “Glad it’s not me she’s glaring down.”

“Shh!” Pearl hushed.

“Hello. I thought you would be interested to know that I just caught your son and his friends trying to steal a car. Apparently, they were bored enough to give joyriding a try. Normally, I’d have left them for the police to deal with. But I figured no one can put the fear of stars into kids, teenage or otherwise, quite like their parents,” Archer replied.

The woman turned to her son and his friends. “What? You boys are in so much trouble!” she snapped.

A man came up to stand beside her. Leviathan could see he had the same eyes and general build as his boy. “Abby? What’s going on?” he asked, eyeing the green-clad rogue suspiciously.

“It seems that vigilante from the news was kind enough to deliver our criminal child and his friends. They tried to steal a car!”

The man’s eyes hardened. “Is that true?” he asked, turning to his son, who nodded. The man sighed. “We’re very disappointed in you boys. And you can be sure by the time we’re done, you won’t even think about breaking the law again.” He turned to Archer and shook their hand. “Thank you for bringing them home and for stopping them before they got hurt. And we apologize for their behavior. I can assure you that our son will know such behavior is inexcusable. And I can tell you that Josh and Greg’s parents will do the same for the other boys.”

“Yes, thank you so much. Who knows what would’ve happened if you hadn’t come along,” Abby agreed, also shaking their hand.

“It was no trouble, really.” They looked over the boys before turning back to the parents. “Despite their actions tonight, I think you’ve got a good son. And he’s got good friends. It seems to me that this is more a case of kids making a terrible choice than young criminals in the making.” They turned to the boys and shook each of their hands. “Remember what I said. No one can make the choice for you. But I do hope you choose to be better.”

Archer waved goodbye, confident that the boys were in good hands. They met back up with the others. “Why’d you take them home? Seems like a night in the slammer might’ve been good for them. Scare them straight,” Purple Puma said.

Archer shrugged. “Because I don’t think it’s a good idea to throw harmless kids in jail. Besides, like I said, no one can scare a kid quite like an angry parent can.”

“You keep calling them kids, but they’re teenagers. Shouldn’t they be kept to higher standards?” Pearl asked.

“Age is a state of mind. I call them kids because to me, joyriding is very childish behavior. Now, if they were actively trying to hurt others, I wouldn’t have been so lenient. Besides, I’d like to believe that those boys have good in them.” Archer’s head tilted. “Time to head out. There’s a bar fight on Copper Lane.”

When they got to the address, they could see that the bar fight had spilled out into the parking lot. The brawl had at least twenty members. “Nebula, Leviathan, stay back and keep us covered. Puma, you’re with me,” Titan ordered before launching herself into the fray. The first thing she did was grab two men and knock their heads together. She then lowered them gently to the ground, where they decided to stay. Apparently one of them had a friend who wasn’t happy about this because he ran at Titan, raising what looked like a broken pool cue.

He didn’t get very far. Puma, who had shifted into a large wrestler, tackled him from the side, putting the man into a sleeper hold. He struggled for a bit before Puma let him go. He didn’t get back up either. Archer and Prism also joined the fray. Prism didn’t seem to feel the need to use her hammers, evidenced by the punch she delivered to one man’s stomach. It seemed the drunk idiots saw Archer as a small, easy target. They taught the first guy otherwise when he tried to punch them. The rogue grabbed his fist, stopping him cold. They then returned the favor with a punch of their own right to his nose. As the man clutched his bleeding (probably broken) nose, she swept his legs out from under him. He hit the ground hard.

Leviathan saw Nebula shoot off a laser, which slammed into a guy that had jumped onto Prism’s back. The force was hard enough to knock him off. A kick delivered by Prism as he tried to get up discouraged him from fighting further. The bluenette saw a flash of light out of the corner of her eye. A girl with a knife was approaching Archer from behind as she dealt with two others. Leviathan summoned some water, which swept up the girl and smacked her into the brick wall of the bar. She slid down it and stayed down.

She sent out another jet of water to knock four guys off of Puma. Prism moved in to help Puma up, the two turning to dispatch the three men who got back up. Leviathan turned just in time to see someone break a barstool on Titan’s back. His expression when the large woman, who was currently dispatching another brawler, didn’t even seem to notice getting hit was priceless. Nebula sent off a blast that knocked him off his feet in retribution.

It didn’t take them long to clean up the fight. Just as Prism knocked out the last drunk, several police cars charged into the parking lot. The vigilantes took that as a sign they’d overstated their welcome and retreated, though they stayed close long enough to make sure the officers could handle the situation from there. They only left after the last brawler was prepped for his ride in a cop car.

Criminals were out of force that night. Leviathan lost count of the people they caught. However, the group was satisfied with the progress. The combination of the vigilantes work and the extra police presence seemed to do their job in discouraging criminals. Archer told them later on that many of the drug dealers and gunmen they caught that night were low level members of local gangs, families and syndicates. Something that would hopefully convince them that the police chief’s arrest was not the opportunity they thought it was. Leviathan hoped that they’d be able to continue sending that message over the next couple of days.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back everybody! Let me know what you think about this one. I wanted to get a little more Lapis/Peri interaction, so hopefully you guys enjoy that. As always, constructive criticism is also welcome and encouraged.

Peridot strode up to the door, knocking with a flourish. The small blonde whistled happily to herself, rocking back and forth on her heels. Bismuth moved to stand beside her and Peridot smirked. The large woman was less than excited about Peridot’s plans for the day. Peridot mentally shrugged. She’d get over it. Everyone deserves a break now and then.

The large woman was wearing a grey shirt with olive green pants and black tennis shoes. The more casual outfit was worn on Peridot’s insistence. She’d grumbled about it when the small blonde hounded her that morning, insisting there was nothing quite as intimidating as a suit. While Peridot agreed, she’d argued Bismuth didn’t need to be intimidating today. Bismuth retorted that her entire job description was intimidation, but eventually gave in to her small tornado of a friend.

Peridot was also dressed casually today. The blonde’s hair was its usual mess. She’d learned after years of Yellow and White trying that no amount of products or gel could contain it. She wore a black tank top underneath a long-sleeved green plaid shirt. She’d rolled up the sleeves up to her elbows. Jeans covered her legs and she spotted green converses on her feet. She reached up, adjusting her green glasses as the door opened.

Peridot gave her brightest, most charming grin as a bewildered Rose looked down at her from the open doorway. Probably pondering how and why this small blonde and her large friend ended up on her doorstep at nine o’clock on a Saturday morning. Peridot noted that the tall woman was still in her pajamas, though luckily she seemed wide awake. Peridot had been hoping to avoid waking the adult members of the Universe family.

“Hello, Mrs. Universe. I’m here to pick up/kidnap your children,” Peridot said cheerily. At Rose’s raised eyebrow, she added, “All in good fun. I figured that they’d busted into my home enough times that I should even the score a bit.”

Rose chuckled, moving aside to let them in. “I figured you would’ve gotten your fill of them in the past couple weeks,” she replied good naturedly.

“Please. That lot is better than cable TV,” Peridot said. It had been two weeks since the police chief was arrested on the news. Protests had continued for quite a while after the event, threatening a few times to turn violent. Police presence in the city had been heavy the last couple of weeks. Not to mention reports of Archer, the Crystal Gems and Prism had increased. Every day since the chief’s arrest, Jadon Kellom had come on saying the vigilantes had been spotted the night before, recounting the group’s efforts.

Peridot had made it a point to escort all of the Universes home from school for the past two weeks. She and Bismuth picked up Steven every day before swinging by the university and grabbing the others. Rose and Greg has been surprised, but touched when the two dropped their children off that first day.

“Steven’s on the couch watching TV. Let me get the others,” Rose said, turning to walk up so stairs. Peridot took the opportunity to look around the Universe home. The front entrance opened into a small entryway. Past that was a large living room, with two big couches in an L-shape in front of the TV. She could see the entrance to the dining room, and past that was the kitchen.

Peridot approached the couch quietly, turning to make a shushing gesture at Bismuth. The rainbow-haired woman rolled her eyes, but didn’t spoil her friend’s fun as she snuck up on Steven. Luckily, Crying Breakfast Friends was on, the sobbing of the characters loud enough to have covered her conversation with Rose at the door and her approach. She grabbed Steven from behind, giving him a noogie as she let out a yell of triumph, winning a startled yelp from the boy in return.

Steven turned as Peridot laughed, confusion melting into excitement as he processed that his friend was there. “Peridot!” he yelled, throwing himself over the back of the couch. The blonde let out a strangled noise as he caught her by surprise, sending them both sprawling on the floor. Laughing (and half choking) she pushed him off. She rose to her feet, making a show of huffing and dusting off imaginary dirt from her clothes. Steven grinned at his friend’s antics.

Peridot was not surprised that her smaller (if only slightly) friend looked kind of adorable in his pajamas. He wore a light blue button up pajama top with blue pants. His curly hair was more untamed than usual. Obviously, he had not run a comb through it yet. There was also a part of her that was mildly surprised he was up and about so early in the morning. He was a teenager after all. However, another part thought that it was rather expected that someone with such a sunny personality would be a morning person.

The three sat on the couch, though Peridot had to drag Bismuth down with her. Steven tried to catch Peridot up on what happened in the episode so far. She nodded along uncomprehendingly. She liked to think she was pretty smart. Hell, she graduated high school at fourteen and was currently working on getting two Master’s degrees. Yet she still could not make heads or tails of Steven’s favorite show, no matter how many times he tried to explain it to her or made her watch it. It pointed to her stubborn nature that she continued to try.

Before long, they heard the tell-tale footfalls of the rest of the Universes. Rose and Greg emerged first. It was the first time Peridot had ever seen the man. He had long hair that almost touched the floor, though the top of his head was bald. He was shorter than his wife, but definitely taller than Peridot. He had a round belly and friendly face. Peridot smiled, seeing the resemblance between Steven and his dad. It amazed her how he was a perfect blend of his parents.

Garnet and Pearl followed behind them. Garnet was dressed in maroon pajama pants with a slightly lighter tank top, while Pearl was wearing a teal nightgown. Amethyst emerged next, stretching as she turned the corner with a yawn. She was decidedly not as awake as Garnet and Pearl, looking almost zombie-like as she approached, throwing herself face down on the other couch. Peridot snickered at the other girl, especially when she noticed that the purple-haired Latina was wearing a white tank top and purple pajama pants with white kittens on them. Peridot turned when she heard another set of footsteps descending the stairs and almost swallowed her tongue.

Lapis turned the corner in a dark blue tank top and sinful light blue shorts. Peridot cursed the unfairness of the universe as the bluenette stretched, her tank top lifting to show off tan skin. Her blue hair was messy and she covered her mouth as she yawned. Frankly, she looked a mixture of hot and adorable, and Peridot was not prepared to deal with it. She could feel a blush rising to her cheeks, something Lapis noticed if the sleepy smirk she shot Peridot’s way was anything to go by. The blonde rolled her eyes, mostly at herself, before clearing her throat and looking away.

Right into the glaring eyes of a small, grumpy Latina. “You better have a damn good reason for waking us up on a Saturday,” she grumbled.

“Amethyst!” Pearl snapped. Rose and Greg also shot the purple-haired girl warning looks. Peridot gave a rakish grin. “I’m repaying you guys for busting into my house a couple weeks ago on a Saturday morning. Plus, I’m taking you all to Happy Land for the day!” she replied. She threw her hands up as she revealed her awesome surprise. Steven yelled excitedly, causing Peridot to grin.

“I’m not spending a whole Saturday at discount Funland,” Lapis interjected. “Excuse me? Happy Land is not discount Funland!” Peridot replied, properly scandalized. She knew by Lapis’ grin and repressed laughter that she’d given the bluenette the exact reaction she was looking for, but she didn’t care. After she was adopted by Yellow, Happy Land became her favorite place to go. That was her childhood!

“You can’t come over without any notice and expect us to go with you. I have to study today!” Pearl protested.

Peridot rolled her eyes. “Like I said, I’m getting payback. Besides, you’re more than smart enough to take a day off from your studies. After all, you are taking a Master’s level class and you’re only behind yours truly as far as grades.” The teasing tone took the bite out of her words, though Pearl still huffed in annoyance. “It’s been a very stressful could of weeks for all of us. I’m offering you a relaxing day at one of the best places in the world. It’ll be nothing but rides, games and food.”

“Can we go? Please?” Steven begged, shooting puppy eyes at his mom.

Rose laughed. “It’s fine with me,” she said, turning to look at Greg.

The man grinned. “Ditto.”

It wasn’t long before Steven’s puppy eyes convinced the rest of the group to go with them. Peridot noticed Lapis muttering as she walked to her room. She could’ve sworn she heard her mumbling about “lethal puppy eyes”. If that was the case, she couldn’t help but agree. Although watching Steven use them against others never failed to be entertaining. It was hilarious watching the big sisters’ defiance melt under their little brother’s gaze.

“Peridot, can Connie come too?” Steven asked, turning said puppy eyes on her. She cursed internally.

Peridot grinned teasingly. “And get the chance to meet your ‘amazing’ friend from school? Of course!”

Steven blushed, avoiding Peridot’s gaze as he scrambled up the stairs to get ready. Peridot’s grin turned into a more genuine, wistful smile. The youngest Universe had talked her ear off about his friend. How nice she was and how well she played the violin and how funny she was. It was obvious to her that the boy was experiencing his first crush.

Peridot didn’t feel she had a lot of room to talk as Lapis came back down the stairs. Her blue hair was more styled now and she wore a blue and white striped tank top with black skinny jeans and blue converse. The top stopped just enough to show a sliver of tan skin near her waist. Peridot ran a frustrated hand through her hair. _She_ didn’t need any troublesome crush. So she did what any awkward genius would do: completely bury and ignore the problem.

It didn’t take long for the others to join them. Peridot offered for Rose and Greg to join them, but the two begged off, wanting to enjoy a quiet day at home. Having such rowdy bunch of kids, Peridot couldn’t blame them. From there, it was a quick five minute drive to Connie’s house.

Peridot opened the limo door for the girl, greeting her kindly and moving seats so she could sit next to Steven. As she settled, she studied the girl. She had dark skin and a slim figure. Her she had long, puffy, dark hair and bright black eyes. Peridot smiled, seeing a similar kind of spark in her that was in Steven’s. She was wearing a green shirt, blue jeans and red converse.

Connie seemed shy at first, but, thanks to Steven, she slowly came out of her shell. Peridot tried to help her feel at ease during the ride to Happy Land, asking her questions about her interests and school. The two actually bonded over a shared love of The Spirit Morph Saga books. Peridot admitted to falling in love with the series when she was in high school, and occasionally going back to reread the books. She, Connie and Steven argued about the end of the series the entire way to Happy Land.

Peridot bought their tickets, ignoring the protests from the group around her and arguing that she was the one that invited everyone, so she would pay. Honestly, the blonde thought fighting over who paid to be a kind of a novel concept. She was used to people expecting her to pay whenever they wanted to hang out. She never minded; she knew she was lucky to have the money to spend. But it was a refreshing experience all the same.

“Alright. What does everyone want to do first?” she asked, leading them through the gates. “Let’s go on the biggest rollercoaster first!” Amethyst said, Steven letting out a cheer of agreement. At Peridot’s questioning look, she added, “You’ve gotta do the most fun thing first.”

The blonde shrugged. “I’m not going to argue with that logic.”

She lead them to The Split. It was the largest roller coaster at Happy Land, full of both drops and loop de loops. The name came from the fact that at the two sets of cars traveled together until the end of the ride, where they branched off into the last loop and passed right in front of each other on the way. It also happened to be one of Peridot’s favorite rides.

She ended up next to Lapis. As she pulled the safety strap for the park attendant, she glanced at the car next to them. It contained two kids, one of which was already crying. She winced in sympathy for him. The ride started and the group raised their arms as they climbed the first drop, though Peridot had to nudge Lapis to get her to join. The disconnect between her raised arms and deadpan face made Peridot snicker. She was surprised that the bluenette kept her composure throughout the ride. She was not as shocked when Garnet did the same. Girl could be scarily stoic when she wanted to be.

Peridot herself let out a few whoops as they went along, joined by Bismuth. Her larger friend didn’t like the idea of trying to protect her in a large, crowded amusement park, but she couldn’t deny how fun it was. Steven and Connie also made plenty of joy filled screams. Peridot was most surprised by Pearl’s enthusiastic response. She wouldn’t have pegged the proper engineer as an adrenaline junkie.

When the ride ended, Peridot insisted they go on The Twister next. The ride had everyone stand in a circle as it spun at ridiculous speeds. Peridot argued it was a good idea to get that one out of the way before anyone ate. Her point proved valid when they saw a guy throwing up in a trashcan as they got off the ride. Peridot gave the man a sympathetic nod as she passed. If his “I heart Empire City” shirt was anything to go by, the tourist had just learned a hard lesson. One Peridot learned when she was twelve. Not a fun memory.

After a couple more rides, they made their way over to the games. They competed against each other to fill a balloon using water guns. It turns out that Peridot and Garnet had the steadiest hands, with Peridot getting the win. Garnet and Bismuth destroyed the others in the strength contest, though both Connie and Peridot seemed surprised when Steven came in a relatively close third. Bismuth flexed after getting her score, and even managed to break Garnet’s stoicism when she insisted that the two take a picture in front of the game. They both grinned for the camera, before taking a sillier picture where they pretended to flex like bodybuilders. Peridot proved to be an expert at the dart throwing game and shared a high five with Connie when she also hit all three balloons.

For the most part, they all did pretty well beating the rigged carnival games. However, most of the group ran into problems when they came to the ring toss. One by one, they tried and failed to get all the rings around the bottle tops. Lapis huffed as she missed three shots in a row.

“Mind if I try?” Peridot asked.

Lapis shrugged, the metal rings clinking as the booth attendant dropped them in the blonde’s hand. The others gathered around to watch as Peridot threw the first ring. It caught the neck of one of the bottles, clinking as it slid into place. One after another, Peridot made shot after shot. Amethyst, Steven and Connie started to cheer as each ring landed on a bottle. Soon, all ten rested nearly on the necks of the bottles. Peridot grinned as the booth attendant congratulated her, accepting the stuffed blue dolphin that he gave her. The blonde looked at it for a moment as the group moved on, before handing it off to Lapis with a cocky smile. “For you, m’lady,” she said, tone slightly teasing.

Lapis raised an eyebrow. “Don’t want to keep it? Isn’t it a sign of your triumph?”

“Well, I already know I’m great. This can be a reminder for you,” Peridot shot back without hesitation. Her smile became a bit more genuine as she waved the dolphin at Lapis, silently insisting she take it. “Seriously, that is kind of my game. I have way too many plushies from here. I got a little obsessed with the ring toss after I won an alien plushie from here when I was twelve.”

Lapis grinned as she took the dolphin. “Are you admitting that you have a room full of plushies?”

Peridot grumbled and mentally cursed, feeling herself blush yet again. “Of course not!” Lapis just continued to stare at her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk until she admitted, “...They’re in my closet.”

Lapis laughed and Peridot couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across her face. “That’s kind of adorable,” she teased further. She grew a little more serious. “I didn’t think you were the type to like plushies.” The two had unconsciously started to lag a bit behind the others, giving themselves a small semblance of privacy.

Peridot shrugged. “Like I told Amethyst, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” She hesitated before continuing, staring off into the distance. “I was adopted by Yellow Diamond when I was eleven. And before that...well, I wasn’t really in a situation where I could have stuffed animals. Or any kind of toys.”

Peridot turned to see Lapis watching her intently. The blonde could see empathy and understanding in the other girls eyes. She cleared her throat, forcing a brighter tone. “But after I got adopted, the Diamonds spoiled me rotten. Got me way more toys than one kid needed. I swear, it was like they were trying to make up for lost time,” she said jokingly.

“Maybe they were.” Lapis didn’t share her joking tone, causing Peridot to pause.

“Maybe.” she agreed quietly. Smiling slightly, she continued, “They did a good job of it. I don’t know what I would’ve done without them.”

“I get it,” Lapis replied. “Rose and Greg were a lot like that when they first adopted us. They were always trying to get us to smile and have fun.”

“Cotton candy!”

Both girls jumped at Steven’s shout, startled out of their little bubble. Lapis shook her head as she watched Steven drag Connie off to the cotton candy stand. Peridot grinned at her before jogging to catch up. They waited in line, each grabbing their own bunch of fluffy, sugary goodness. Peridot once again paid, slipping her card to the vendor before the others noticed. Once they realized what she did, a chorus of protests rose up. She just cheekily grinned at them.

They all happily ate their treat, laughing and joking around. They all agreed to play some more games afterwards, not wanting to risk going on any rides with bellies full of cotton candy. That only lasted so long before Amethyst insisted they’d waited long enough. Soon, the group found themselves on a ride called The Hopper. The ride consisted of a row of seats that was raised high in the air. Passengers then experienced a random number of drops. The lengths of the drops also varied. Peridot mercilessly teased Bismuth, who did not handle the ride well. Apparently, drops were her least favorite part and there were only so many she was willing to handle. Luckily, the next ride they went on was another roller coaster, this one full of pretty much just loop de loops.

On particular ride had cars shaped like rockets. Steven, Connie and Pearl (who, it turned out, was fascinated by all things space) insisted on going on it, despite Peridot’s warnings. The group dragged her on, to her loud protests. As soon as the ride ended, everyone was groaning in protest.

“Chiropractor! I need a chiropractor!” Amethyst moaned, voice strained.

“I told you! This thing should not be called Journey in Space. It should be called Back Breaker!” Peridot said, groaning as something in her back popped. The ride was fun, but it was also full of sharp, jerky turns that was enough to give someone whiplash and dislocate a couple vertebrae.

Peridot lead them to the hall of mirrors to give them some time to recover. They goofed off and laughed at the crazy mirrors. Steven and Connie seemed to particularly like it. Deciding to stick with the theme, they tried the mirror maze next. Which seemed like all fun and games until Amethyst ran into a mirror. After that, they all walked carefully, holding their hands in front of themselves as a precaution.

Amethyst herded them toward the bumper cars next. Peridot pointed out that they would probably just make everyone sore again. That being said, she and Amethyst got a little too competitive, trying to see who could hit each other the hardest. Then they got the brilliant idea to team up against the others, which they both seemed to enjoy much more.

While Bismuth, Peridot and Pearl tried to argue against it, they also ended up going on some water rides. Lapis was all for it and she quickly convinced Steven and Amethyst it would also be fun. Peridot still wasn’t quite sure what happened. One second, she was arguing that it would take forever for their clothes to dry. The next, she was sitting in a log, shooting down a hill and getting completely drenched.

“I’m glad I decided against wearing a white shirt,” she grumbled, trying to wring water out of her clothes. Lapis laughed and dragged her after Steven, who was leading the rest of their group towards a river rapids ride. Peridot sighed, tying her over shirt around her waist as she accepted the fact that trying to help it dry now would be futile.

Between eating a late lunch of hotdogs, burgers and chilli cheese fries and playing more games and going on more rides, they did eventually mostly dry off. They rode a ride that raised them hundreds of feet in the air while they sat on swings. It spun them around over and over, and Peridot was not ashamed to admit it wasn’t her favorite ride. Mostly because she felt like she couldn’t walk straight for five minutes after they got off. The group even took turns riding a mechanical bull.

Peridot grinned at Steven and Connie’s antics as they waited in line for the pirate ride. It consisted of a gigantic boat that swung back and forth, getting higher and higher each time. The two were pretending to talk like pirates. Which honestly consisted mostly of sprinkling a bunch of “arrr”s and “matey”s in their conversation. They also insisted on making their hands into the shape of hooks and pretend sword fighting.

The carousel came next, which inspired Steven and Connie to switch from playing pirates to playing cowboys. Finger guns and pew-pew noises followed, along with some rather dramatic on-horse dodging. This unfortunately ended after a shouted, and rather rudely worded, reprimand from an irate employee. Peridot grinned as the two stuck their tongues out at the boy. Something that turned into outright snickering after they got off and Pearl insisted on giving the young teenager a lecture about what is and is not appropriate to shout around a bunch of kids.

Peridot looked at her watch before looking at the sky. “It’s almost sunset. Do you guys want to hit the ferris wheel next? It’ll give use a nice view,” she asked.

The group readily agreed. The ferris wheel was gigantic. The large cars could hold up to ten people, so they all got to go on together. The ride to the top was slow, but the view when they got there was well worth it. The sun was a little less that half way below the horizon and the sky was a beautiful mixture of orange, red, purple and blue. Peridot smiled as Connie and Steven oohed and ahhed over the view before snapping a selfie. The others were equally enthralled, chatting happily as the ride began its slow descent.

“We better head out,” Bismuth said once they reached the ground. “We promised Mrs. Maheswaran that we’d get Connie home by eight.”

“Aw! But it’s only seven! Can’t we go on one more ride?” Steven asked, Connie echoing the sentiment.

“Actually, Bismuth’s right. The traffic coming out of this place is usually pretty bad around this time. All the harried parents trying to get the younger kids home before it gets too late,” Peridot replied. As the duo continued to protest, she raised her hands. “I know, I know. It sucks having to cut the fun short. However, as semi-responsible adults, we need to make sure Connie gets home on time. Especially because doing so increases the odds that she’ll get to come hang out with us again.”

With that, they were off, the vague promise of getting together again enough to pacify the younger members of the group. They quickly made their way to the exit, climbing into the limo waiting outside. They dropped Connie off to a rather please Mr. and Mrs. Maheswaran. Peridot laughed outright when the two said rather dramatic, sad goodbye, only to begin texting each other as soon as they got back in the limo. The blonde idly wondered if she was that dramatic when she was their age.

Bismuth and Peridot dropped the others off. After making sure they got inside, the two relaxed as the driver started towards the Diamond estate. “Will you admit this was a good idea now?” Peridot asked her large friend.

Bismuth sighed. “I had fun. That doesn’t mean it made my job any easier.”

“Which was fixed by the fact that I gave you the day off.” The rainbow-haired woman didn’t look amused. “Look, it has been a stressful couple of weeks. They deserved a break. And so did we. If we don’t rest every now and then, we’ll burn ourselves out.”

Bismuth sighed, finally nodding in agreement. “It’ll only get harder from here.”

Peridot leaned back, hands behind her head. “Yeah. But we’ll be ready.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. New chapter is here! I promise not to take so long to update next time. I'm already working on the next chapter and I'll probably have it out in the next couple of days. Please let me know what you guys think! And, like always, constructive criticism is welcomed.

Lapis and her sisters did not necessarily believe that training with Archer would be fun. In fact, the bluenette had known it would be hell. However, even she did not imagine it would be quite this terrible. 

“I can’t move. Go on without me. Save yourselves,” Amethyst panted from her position on the floor. 

Archer, dressed in full vigilante gear, leaned down to drag her to her feet, much to the purple-haired Latina’s groaning protests. “Get up. Stand up straight, arms crossed behind your head, and take deep breaths,” they instructed. “You’re never going to catch your breath laid out on the floor.” 

The green-clad vigilante had shown them no mercy from the very start. They had insisted on starting with offensive training. “Knowing how to attack without hurting yourself is key,” Archer insisted while demonstrating a proper fighting stance. “Dodging and blocking is important, but no one can keep it up forever. The most important thing to have in a fight is control. You want to force your opponent to react to you, not the other way around. That being said, you don’t just want to swing wildly. Your attacks should be calculated. Know where and how you want to hit your opponent. 

Archer gestured for Prism to move closer. “Another thing to remember is where you should aim to most effectively end a fight. Remember, street fights aren’t the place to worry about honor fighting. It’s not a martial arts tournament. Your opponent is someone who is ready and willing to injure or even kill you. So don’t be afraid to exploit a weakness or fight a little dirty. Aim for the face, stomach, neck, or groin. That being said, remember your strength. You’re trying to incapacitate them, not take their head off,” Archer explained, demonstrating where and how to hit an opponent on Prism. 

“It’s also not all punching and kicking. Grappling opponents can also be a very effective strategy. It’s also possible to choke out an opponent, but keep in mind doing so can be incredibly dangerous. Another good strategy is using their momentum against them. If someone charges at you, you can dodge to the side and push or trip them. It’s a good way to throw them off balance and create an opening.” 

Training had continued like this, Archer demonstrating proper techniques for throwing punches and kicks, blocking, dodging, grappling, etc. Then, they revealed that the best way for them to learn was practical training. Ever since then, Archer and Prism had been effectively kicking their asses. Prism was paired up with Garnet, as the large woman was the closest in strength to the Gem leader. Archer handled the rest of the team. At the same time. And still wiped the floor with them. 

“We’re done for today,” Archer announced. 

“Thank the stars,” Amethyst murmured. Archer shook their head, sighing as they put their hands on their hips. “You need to focus more. You’re not striking, you’re flailing. There’s no thought put into it.” The rogue told her. 

To Pearl, they said, “You have the opposite problem. You are putting all your focus up here,” Archer tapped the side of their head, “Fighting is fast-paced and will always be at least partially instinctual. It’s all about striking a balance between instinct and planning. By the time you get done planning out your strategy, the circumstances of the fight have changed and you’ve lost your opportunity.” 

They turned to a panting Lapis. “You actually have done a good job of getting that balance. However, you need more practice on technique. Your punches and kicks aren’t as powerful as they could be because you don’t follow through. We’ll continue to work on that.” 

Prism spoke up, facing Garnet. “You have a similar problem to Amethyst. Your moves are all instinct. You’re so used to being stronger than everyone else that you never really bother with technique and planning. You just kind of throw yourself into a situation and trust your strength and tough skin to get you through.” 

“Overall though, not bad for the first day. Now that we know where your weaknesses are, we can plan how to address them. For now, go get ready.” 

The Crystal Gems didn’t need to be told twice. They took the chance to escape while they could. It wasn’t long before they all returned, ready to head out for the night. “We’re splitting up tonight. You all will go on regular patrol. I’m heading to Monarch,” Archer informs as they lead everyone to the door. 

“Monarch? Isn’t that a pharmaceutical company?” Nebula questioned. 

“Yes. Famous for their research and development of a new, non-addictive painkiller. Monarch is owned by Suzanne Calvert. Daughter of Tony ‘The Brute’ Cavert, boss of the Calvert crime family,” Archer replied. 

“So why are you going to Monarch? Other than it’s owned by the daughter of a mobster,” Leviathan asked. “Are we just assuming she’s up to no good because of who her dad is?” 

Archer turned to look back at her and Leviathan was pretty sure they were glaring under their helmet. “A new drug has been seen on the streets recently. It’s street name is Turbo. Because it’s so new, Turbo is mostly contained right now. However, it’s very powerful, very addictive and very dangerous. If we don’t stop it now, it will spread. Even with the small use it’s getting right now, five people have already overdosed on it. 

I have reason to believe that Turbo is being made at Monarch and distributed by the Calvert family. I’m going to go do some reconnaissance. See what I can find out about the family, the buildings security, what their projects are. Hack into financial and company records to see if there is anything that doesn’t match up.” Archer gave Leviathan a pointed look. “I also want to get a feel for Miss. Calvert. See if she is involved. It’s entirely possible that her facilities are being used without her knowledge. She has publicly denounced her father’s actions and it is well-known that she is highly involved in drug abuse awareness. It’s also known that her own struggles with addiction are what inspired her create their famous painkiller. We’ll see if she’s genuine or if it’s just a ploy.” 

As they emerged on the roof of Archer’s hideout, they activated their hoverboard. Turning to the others, they continued, “Prism, you will be working with the Gems tonight.” 

Prism frowned. “Are you sure? I don’t really like the idea of you possibly walking into a mob site. Feels like I’m letting you walk into a lion’s den all by yourself.” 

“I’ll be careful,” Archer replied. They stepped onto their hoverboard. “You might want to start at the Brooklyn docks. There is supposed to be a major drug deal tonight involving the Scarlet Growlers.” 

Prism frowned. “That’s brave. They’re still a pretty small gang. They’ve stuck to pretty small inventory and recruit numbers.” 

Archer shrugged. “They’re probably trying to move up in the world. I’ve heard the police are getting awfully close to the higher ups in the Reapers. Maybe the Growlers are getting prepared. The Reapers aren’t the largest gang around, but they’ll still leave a pretty decent sized power vacuum. Enough nearly triple Growler territory if they can get a hold of it.” 

Prism nodded before turning to the Gems. “Alright! Then let’s make sure they don’t have the tools to succeed. Let’s go guys!” she said. 

“Finally! I thought you two were going to go on forever! I’m ready for some action!” Purple Puma said, punching her hand a couple times. 

“Yay. I’m so excited to get shot at.” Leviathan deadpanned. She didn’t follow the others immediately, however, staying to watch Archer shake their head and fly off. She didn’t want to admit it, but she agreed with Prism. Letting the small rogue go by herself to spy on a crime family left her with a bad taste in her mouth. Archer POV 

Archer perched on a skyscraper next to Monarch. She pressed a small, hidden button on the side of her helmet, switching to night vision. Another press changes to thermal vision. _Hmm. No guards on the roof. Only one camera, in front of the door._ Archer nodded to herself and stood. She anchored one end of a zipline on the roof she was on. The rogue raised her bow, aiming an arrow with the other end of the zipline at the other roof. In no time, she was sliding onto the other roof. 

__Now that she had a closer look, she did one last scan for extra security measures that she might have missed from a distance. Finding none, Archer carefully moved until she could climb onto the roof of the entrance. Sneaking across the roof, she leaned over the side, directly above the camera. Pressing another button on her forearm allowed her to grab a USB wire, which she plugged into the camera. A holographic interface lit up from her forearm. She quickly used it to hack into the system, scoffing at how simple it was. Archer grinned in triumph as she gained control of the security system. Archer set the cameras to loop their footage. That takes care of that._ _

__Archer sits up and begins a more indepth search into the security system. She found there were motion detectors in the building as well and set them to loop data as well. A quick search also allowed her to access the passcodes for the doors. The vigilante nodded in satisfaction before jumping down. Entering the code for the roof door, she eased her way inside._ _

__Archer made her way to the bottom of the stairs, pausing at the door. She knelt beside the door and reached into one of her pouches, producing a small, dark green orb. She placed it on the floor and activated her interface once more. The orb came to life, sprouting small legs from its side and a small antenna from its top, complete with a camera lens. Guiding the small robot under the door, she used it to explore the hallway._ _

__Archer pursed her lips. _No guards. Again. Does she assume that no one would dare break into the place of a mob boss’ daughter?_ She opened the door, leading her little sentry to the end of the hallway. Once again, she used the little robot to clear the area. She could see Suzanne’s office door on the other side. Finally, there was a guard. A guard. Just the one. He was sitting at the secretary’s desk, facing away from the roof entrance. He was also asleep. __

___She sent her little robot to check the office as well, only moving to open the door when she confirmed the area was clear. She quietly maneuvered past the guard and punched in the code for the office door. She slipped into the office, silently closing the door behind her. Quickly, the rogue moved to the computer, turning it on and connecting her USB to it. It took less than a minute for her to get access to the computer. She navigated through the different notes and documents. She copied everything she could onto her own system before leaving everything as it was._ _ _

___Slipping out of the office, she made her way over to the elevator. She rode down to the labs. She made her way into the lab and began searching. She searched each desk and computer. Here, she found something interesting. Encrypted documents were hidden on the computer of one Dr. Erica Hunt. The encryptions were pretty well done, as it took her a few minutes to access them. She found notes, formulas and instructions. One look at the chemical formulas being used told her these notes were not for any medicine. None she’d ever seen anyway._ _ _

___Searching the desk also proved fruitful. She found that one of the drawers had a hidden compartment. Removing the false bottom revealed small baggies full of a pink powder and syringes full of pink liquid. Archer smirked to herself. _Jackpot!_ Whoever made Turbo wanted it to stand out from other drugs. They did so by giving it a light pink color. She grabbed one of each before replacing the drawer bottom and putting everything back as she found it. She’d analyze these samples back at base. See what she could learn. ___

___She also searched the lab itself, though she didn’t believe she would find anything. She was right. Nothing else out of the ordinary stood out in the lab. _Alright. One more stop. Suzanne’s personal lab. Let’s see what I can find there._ ___

___Suzanne’s personal lab was in the basement. Archer quickly regained respect for the CEO as she entered the elevator. To access the basement floor, you needed to have an employee ID with proper security clearance. She managed to hack her way around the system, only to find five guards roaming the large area once she stepped out. She quickly hunched down, sneaking behind a counter._ _ _

___Archer surveyed the scene. Luckily, the men seemed fairly spread out and the room was rather large. She snuck over to to the corner of the room, where she saw a breaker. She flipped off the lights, plunging the room into darkness._ _ _

___“What the fuck?” one of the guards cursed, startled._ _ _

___“Relax. It’s probably nothing. Let me check the breaker,” another replied._ _ _

___Archer activated her night vision lens. The guard approached the breaker, walking right past Archer’s hiding place. She rose, wrapping one arm around the guards neck, using her other to add pressure and push his head forward. He immediately started struggling, hands clawing at the sleeves of her suit. She waited for a little longer and released him after he stopped struggling. She lowered him to the ground before checking his pulse and breathing. Nodding to herself upon finding both functioning normally, she moved on to the next guard._ _ _

___She incapacitated the next two in a similar way. It had been long enough for the last two to get suspicious. Archer ducked behind another counter as they raised their guns with one hand, flashlights lighting up the room with their other one._ _ _

___“Fuck! Over here! Jerry’s down!” one called, the other quickly following him over. Archer followed, ducking behind some boxes as one guard knelt down next to their fallen comrade, the other sweeping his flashlight over the room. “He’s okay. Well, breathing at least,” the kneeling one said._ _ _

___“Damn. What the hell is going on here?” the other murmured. “Come on, let’s sweep the area.”_ _ _

___“Okay, but we’re sticking together. No splitting up. That’s how you end up hanging on a meat hook or getting an axe to the head.”_ _ _

___Archer raised an eyebrow. Someone was a horror movie fan. Before they had a chance to move forward, she darted behind them. Grabbing both their heads, she smacked them together, instantly knocking them out. She gently lowered them to the ground. A quick check assured her they’d be fine. Other than having one hell of a headache when they woke up._ _ _

___Archer moved back over to the breaker, turning the lights back on and began her search. Once again she found encrypted files on the computer. These were more advanced than the ones on Hunt’s computer. It took her ten minutes to crack the encryption. She scanned through the notes. Her brows rose in surprise at what she found. _Well...that’s surprising,_ she thought. She copied the files and searched the lab itself. ___

___She found a safe in the corner. She reached into her belt, pulling out another orb. This one about twice the size of her scout robot. She placed it on the safe, small magnetic legs coming out and attaching the small robot. An arm came and grabbed the dial. Within seconds, her little friend had her inside._ _ _

___Inside were some documents, letters, money and a few small bags of small, pink pills. Archer’s brows rose once again. She grabbed one of the bags, planning to analyze the contents later. Autopsies from the overdose victims had show abrasions in the nose and needle marks that show Turbo was used either by snorting or injecting it. There was no evidence that Turbo came in pills. _The plot thickens,_ she thought, smirking slightly. She always did enjoy a good puzzle. ___

___Archer made her way back up to the roof. She returned the security systems to normal and made her way back across the zipline. She retrieved her zipline and hopped on her hoverboard. As she returned to base, she unmuted her communicator. “Prism, Gems report. How did the drug deal go?”_ _ _

___“Pretty well, all things considered,” Prism replied._ _ _

___Archer was instantly on alert. “What does that mean?”_ _ _

___“Well, turns out the Growlers were trying to get a two-for-one deal. Drugs and alien weapons.”_ _ _

___“What? Was anyone injured?” Archer snapped._ _ _

___“No, we’re all fine,” Prism reassured._ _ _

___“Speak for yourself,” Amethyst cut in. “I saw my life flash before my eyes.”_ _ _

___“It got a little hairy, but we managed,” Prism corrected. “The Growlers are going to be hurting now. The police have rounded up some of their members, plus their out a bunch of drugs, weapons and money.”_ _ _

___Archer sighed. “Well, that’s good news at least. Where are you heading now?”_ _ _

___“Police scanner just went off. There’s a standoff between the cops and some robbers in a gas station. We’ll sort that out and go from there.”_ _ _

___“Keep me posted.”_ _ _

___“Wait! Don’t think you’re getting off that easy. How did your reconnaissance mission go?” Prism asked._ _ _

___“Not bad. I’ve got a few leads to follow. I’m heading back to base for now.”_ _ _

___“Good to hear. Good luck, boss!” Prism said teasingly._ _ _

___Archer rolled her eyes, muting her mic again before land on the roof of her base. She quickly made her way downstairs. She quickly made her way to her computer, uploading the files she took. She spent the next couple hours reading through the information, thankful for her photographic memory. After she finished, she leaned back in her chair, lips pursed and brow furrowed. _If these are accurate...I need to analyze those samples,_ she thought. ___

___It took another couple hours to fully analyze and compare each of the samples. By the time she was finished, a deep scowl was carved into Archer’s face. Her suspicions were confirmed and she was pissed. _It’s time to pay Emily Hunt a visit._ ___

___Archer landed on the roof of the Hunt home. A quick search on the Internet revealed that Emily Hunt lived with her husband and two children. Archer grimaced. The last thing she wanted was innocents being caught in the crossfire. Especially kids. Archer dropped down from the roof, landing behind the house. It took her only a few seconds to pick the lock and make her way inside. She slipped upstairs, quickly checking rooms as she went. She ignored the children’s rooms and snuck into the parents’ room._ _ _

___Archer found both asleep on the bed, the husband positioned closer to the door. She approached him, drawing a sleep dart out from her belt. “Sorry,” she murmured, sticking the dart in the man’s neck. He flinched momentarily before relaxing into a deeper sleep. Archer knelt, reaching into her boot to retrieve a hidden knife. There were a few hidden on her person. She hated using them, but it was at times a necessary evil._ _ _

___Archer rounded the bed. She clamped her hand over Emily Hunt’s mouth. The woman jerked up in bed, wide-eyed and screaming. Her scream was muffled against Archer’s hand. The vigilante brought the knife up to Dr. Hunt’s neck, letting it rest just lightly enough for her to feel the cold metal. Hunt’s next scream was choked off in fear of her throat being cut. Archer saw her eyes desperately dart to her husband’s form, though whether she was concerned for his safety or hoping he would save her, she wasn’t sure._ _ _

___“Your husband can’t hear you. I gave him a little something to help him sleep. So don’t scream,” Archer growled. Hunt trembled in fear, but nodded. “Good. Now, you and I are going to go downstairs and have a little chat. Don’t try to run either. It might be late and I might be tired, but I will catch you. And I won’t be happy when I do. Get up.”_ _ _

___Archer stepped back, allowing her to get out of bed. She gestured for Hunt to go first, though she kept hold of her arm. They descended the stairs and turned into the kitchen. “Have a seat,” the rogue said. She sat opposite Hunt. She took out the small bag of pills, the small bag of powder and the syringe and placed them on the table. She saw the recognition in Hunt’s eyes, the understanding and the fear. Archer leaned back in her chair, twirling the knife in her hands._ _ _

___“So, tell me, Dr. Hunt. Do you know who I am?” Archer asked. She nodded. “Good. Then you know what I do. And why I’m here. I’ll admit, I wasn’t surprised when I discovered that Turbo might be linked to Suzanne Calvert. She’s the daughter of a mob boss after all. I also wasn’t very surprised to find Turbo in one of her employee’s desks. High ranking criminals do tend to make others do their dirty work for them. Makes it harder for police to link the crimes to them._ _ _

___“What did surprise me, was finding these in Dr. Calvert’s personal lab,” Archer continued, tapping the bag with the pills. “Imagine my surprise when I learn that Dr. Calvert is working to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s. And, if her notes are right, one that has a chance of actually working. Imagine my further surprise when I learn that you took Dr. Calvert’s formula and manipulated it into the street drug Turbo. All seemingly without the knowledge or consent of Dr. Calvert._ _ _

___“You see, I don’t appreciate people taking something good and pure and tainting it for their own gain. You took advantage of the medicine’s unique formula because it causes such a unique coloring. Something that will stand out from the rest of the drugs on the street. You took something that has the possibility of saving lives and instead turned it into something that kills people. You turned someone’s beautiful dream of healing into something twisted and ugly. I have most of the pieces I need to collapse this whole operation in on itself.”_ _ _

___Archer stood up, rounding the table. She slammed her knife into the table, the blade digging deep with a loud bang. Hunt jumped and Archer leaned over her. Despite her small size, she seemed to tower over the other woman. “You’re going to give me the last couple of pieces that I need. And depending on how you answer and what you tell me, you’ll either come away from this with no harm done, or spend the rest of your life wasting away in prison. Oh, and don’t you dare lie to me. I can tell when people are lying. And it tends to make me very, very angry.” Hunt nodded her understanding. “Great. I’m glad we reached an agreement. First question. Why did you do it? For money? Power? What would make an average, every-day family woman like you turn into a drug manufacturer?”_ _ _

___“No what. Who. Tony Calvert approached me as I was leaving work. He threatened to kill me and my family if I didn’t help him,” Hunt replied shakily. “I ignored him at first. I didn’t think he was serious. It was like something out of a movie.” She swallowed hard and shuddered. “Then I went to pick up my kids from school and he was there. He had my little boy in one arm and a hand on the back of my daughter’s neck. I agreed to help him on the spot.”_ _ _

___Archer studied the woman. She was trembling head-to-toe, but she maintained eye contact the whole time. She didn’t see any other tells either. It seemed the woman was telling the truth. “So Tony’s the mastermind behind all of this. How do they get the drugs from you?”_ _ _

___“They wanted me to tweak the formula. Make it stronger. I’d make what I could without raising suspicion, and then I would give it to Tony’s right-hand, Mario. I think from there they would give it to other people to test it.”_ _ _

___“And you finished? This is the final product?” Archer asked, gesturing to the samples on the table._ _ _

___Hunt nodded. “I just finished it last night. I’m supposed to give it to Mario tomorrow night.” She shifted in her seat to face Archer fully. “Please. If they know I told you anything, they’re going to kill my family. You have to help me.”_ _ _

___“Where are you supposed to meet Mario tomorrow? Or does he come get it from you.”_ _ _

___“Usually, I meet him in a coffee shop down the street, but this time he wants to meet somewhere else. An old warehouse that Tony owns.”_ _ _

___Archer nodded. “A nice, isolated spot. I wonder why he’d choose there?” Archer saw Hunt pale at the implication. She sighed. “Dr. Hunt - Emily - I’ll do everything I can to help you. I’m going to call Detective Price. Tomorrow, you’re going to act totally normal. Go through your morning routine, go to work. Police officers will pick up your husband from work and your kids from school. They’ll come get you as well. Cooperate with them. Tell them everything you know. I know a lawyer that will be willing to help you. With your records and testimony, they’ll have everything they need to break this case wide open.”_ _ _

___“What about Tony? There isn’t anything to prove he’s connected!”_ _ _

___Archer placed a piece of paper on the table. It was a copy of one of the letters that she found in Dr. Calvert’s safe. “Dr. Calvert knew,” she said simply. “She put her research on hold and gathered evidence on her father. There are several letters between him and Mario discussing Turbo’s production. There’s also documents - copies of Tony’s journal - that details his plans and orders for Turbo’s manufacture and the deaths of those involved that are not in the crime family. There wasn’t anything specific about you. That’s why I came to give you a visit. Although, Dr. Calvert seemed to believe in your innocence. And now I do, too. I will help you. I will protect you.”_ _ _

___Emily began to cry, collapsing against Archer. The vigilante allowed her time to cry and compose herself. She re-sheathed her knife and lead Emily back upstairs. She moved to check on her husband. “He’ll wake in the morning. Like I said, I gave him something to help him sleep. It doesn’t last very long. It’s probably mostly out of his system by now.” Emily nodded before crawling into bed. Archer turned away as she cuddle closer to her husband for comfort. “I’ll be in touch.”_ _ _

___Archer left out the back door, quickly using her night and thermal vision to scan the surrounding area. Seeing the coast was clear, she hopped on her hoverboard, pulling out a burner phone._ _ _

___“Detective Price,” a gruff voice answered._ _ _

___“Detective.”_ _ _

___The older man growled. “No! Not tonight. I don’t have time for your-”_ _ _

___“Detective, you’re going to want to listen to me. It’s a matter of life and death,” Archer interrupted._ _ _

___Archer slipped into the large house and moved up the stairs. She opened the bedroom door and knocked on the door frame. The couple in bed startled, looking around wildly for the disruption. The man jumped out of the bed when he saw her leaning against the door frame, shaking hand reaching for a baseball bat. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”_ _ _

___The large woman didn’t move. Archer didn’t move as she studied the vigilante. “Archer. My kids have told me a lot about you,” Rose said, rising out of the bed._ _ _

___Archer smirked, partly because the woman’s voluminous pink hair seemed even larger right after she woke up and partly because she could imagine what colorful language the Gems used to describe her. “All good things, I hope,” she jokingly replied._ _ _

___“Usually, I’d be more than happy to take some time to talk. But it’s very late and I have to be up early tomorrow. So, what brings you to my bedroom in the middle of the night?” the large woman asked._ _ _

___Archer sighed, straightening and stepping into the room. “I have a case for you, Mrs. Universe. I know someone who is in a really bad situation and could really use your help. I would be very grateful if you accepted.”_ _ _

___Rose sighed and rose from bed, running a hand through her hair. “Would you mind talking in the living room? I have a feeling I’m not going to get back to bed soon and I’d rather not have it taunting me while I’m trying to learn about my new client.”_ _ _

___Archer’s shoulders relaxed in relief. She bowed her head gratefully. “Thank you. I’m in your debt.”_ _ _

___“Please. You’ve helped my daughters countless times and you continue to help them learn to protect themselves. I am more than happy to help someone who has done so much for my family. Now come on,” Rose said, placing a gentle, guiding hand on the rogue vigilante’s back. “I need some coffee.”_ _ _

___As Rose lead her down the stairs, Archer couldn’t help but smile. It didn’t take a genius to figure out where the Gems got their desire to help from. If their hearts were half as big as their mother’s, they were already stronger than she’d ever be._ _ _


	10. Chapter 10

Lapis grinned as she approached Steven’s school, attempting to hide it and her chuckles behind one hand. Peridot and Steven were in the middle of what seemed to be a very intense thumb war. The short blonde had an adorable, intense look on her face. A look that seemed more appropriate when solving one of her complex math equations than trying to beat a fourteen year old in a thumb wrestling contest. As she got closer, she could see that Steven was equally entranced, his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth. 

Neither combatant noticed her as she approached. Their sole spectator, however, did. Connie gave her an excited wave before turning back to the action, cheering Steven on. Lapis heard Peridot protest, arguing that as a fellow girl and nerd, she had double the reason to support the blonde instead. Connie’s argument that Steven was her best friend made the bluenette melt, grin widening. 

The distraction proved to be Peridot’s undoing, two cheers rising as Steven managed to trap her errant appendage. The blonde scowled before sighing and reluctantly congratulating the smaller boy. Lapis had learned from the several trips to the arcade that the group has taken that Peridot is extremely competitive. They’d learned the hard way not to let Peridot and Amethyst play together, as the two tended to be both sore losers and winners. They had a habit of egging each other on and creating a never ending cycle of “one more go”s. 

Peridot looked up, finally acknowledging the blue-haired girl’s presence. Lapis took immense pleasure in watching her jaw drop slightly, eyes widening as she took in the taller girl’s appearance. Today, Lapis was wearing a form-fitting blue long sleeved shirt, skinny jeans and black boots. Her blue hair was a little more wild than usual due to the unusually windy day. Lapis didn’t know what was better: the awestruck look the blonde got when she first saw her, or the red blush that always filled her cheeks and spread down to her neck after she got control of herself again. She smirked as the red-faced blonde looked away from her, looking irritated. 

She also took a moment to appreciate Peridot. The smaller blonde was dressed much more casually than usual. She had on a red top and a long sleeve black flannel. Heavy enough to protect her from the day’s heavier than usual winds, but light enough to keep her from overheating. Blue jeans covered her legs and on her feet were black and red converse. The look was completed with sunglasses and a black baseball cap. Her usually messy blonde hair poked out of the bottom of the cap. Lapis took no measures to hide the appreciative once over she gave the blonde. She looked kind of adorable in a baseball cap and her red, form-fitting top showed off her curves rather nicely. “Lapis!” Steven called excitedly, throwing himself on the bluenette. “I beat Peridot in thumb war!” 

Lapis laughed as Peridot’s head snapped back, shooting the boy an offended glare. “Connie distracted me!” she protested. Steven and Connie both stuck their tongues out at her, causing her to roll her eyes. Sighing, she turned her attention to Lapis. “Where are the others?” 

“Studying. They all have midterm tests this week,” Lapis replied. 

Peridot sighed. “Mine are next week,” she grumbled. 

Lapis smirked. “Sucks for you. I took mine last Friday.” 

Peridot rolled her eyes before rising to her feet. “Well, we might as well get started then,” she said. Lapis tilted her head in confusion as Connie and Steven scrambled to get their things together. Catching Peridot’s eye, she raised a questioning eyebrow. Peridot grinned. “We’re going to the Flight Museum.” 

Connie and Steven nodded eagerly. The darker skin girl grinned excitedly up at Lapis. “We have to do a project for our history class. We have to make a presentation about the history of some kind of technology and Steven and I chose air travel. Peridot offered to take us to the museum to help us get some ideas!” 

“We’re going to see a spaceship! And old planes!” Steven added excitedly. 

Peridot smiled fondly at the two, adding, “Yellow Diamond took me to that museum shortly after I was adopted. I absolutely loved it. Mother saw how well I responded and we started a little tradition of sorts. No matter how busy we got, we went back at least once a month.” She ushered the group into the back of the car. Lapis was surprised to see it was an actual car, not a limo. A big, black SUV to be exact. “I’ll always use any excuse I can to go visit again.” 

“So you’ve always been a huge nerd?” Lapis asked teasingly as Bismuth started the car, pulling out of her parking spot. Peridot rolled her eyes, choosing not to dignify Lapis light-hearted barb with a response. This, of course, only encouraged the bluenette, who was now determined to get some kind of reaction from the small blonde. “What else did you do together when you were younger? Read advanced physics books? Solve calculus problems? Build robots? Maybe you even...played trivia games?” she asked, the last question said in a quiet, scandalized tone. 

The smile Peridot had been fighting slowly spread. Though she did also roll her eyes so hard Lapis was momentarily afraid they’d get stuck that way. “Yes, yes and yes.” She leaned closer to the taller girl, voice lowering and tone smug, like she was a gossip sharing a particularly juicy secret. “And I’ll have you know I’ve been beating my family at trivia games since I was thirteen.” Lapis chuckled, holding her hands up in surrender. “Well, excuse me. I was unaware we we

re in the presence of a champion.” 

Peridot nodded, arms crossed. “Dam-rn straight,” she said, though her smug tone was ruined as she tried to cover her swear halfway through. 

“If you two are done being clowns, we’re here,” Bismuth interrupted. When Lapis caught her eyes, the taller woman shot her a half-exasperated, half-amused look. The bluenette responded with a smirk and slid out of the car. She hesitated when Peridot approached the door of the car, leaning down to look through the open window. “Are you sure you’ll be alright without me?” she heard the taller woman ask. 

“We’ll be alright. I can handle myself just fine. We took extra measures so that I wouldn’t be recognized,” Peridot added, tipping her baseball cap meaningfully. “This is very important. I need you there to be my eyes and ears, okay?” 

Bismuth sighed before fixing the blonde with a hard look. “Alright, alright. I hear ya. But if anything happens, you call me immediately. You got it?” The darker woman’s face softened. “I’m serious, Tiny. Keep me updated. I don’t like the idea of letting you wander around on your own.” 

Peridot nodded, moving away from the window. “Same goes for you,” she replied, moving away from the car and sending one last wave over her shoulder. Lapis fell in step with the shorter blonde as Connie and Steven ran ahead of them, giggling excitedly. She met the other girls gaze, raising an eyebrow in silent question. The blonde sighed. “I’m sending her on an...errand of sorts.” 

“Do I even want to know what you mean by errand?” 

Peridot shrugged. “It’s boring business stuff. One of Diamond Corp.’s competitors is having a presentation today. I’m having Bismuth go down there and see what all the fuss is about. Like I said, boring business stuff.” 

“Why didn’t you go yourself?” Lapis asked curiously. 

“And miss a chance to hang out with some of my favorite people? Perish the thought,” Peridot responded teasingly, nudging Lapis with her shoulder. As they approached the ticket booth, Peridot reached over Steven and Connie to pay the attendant. The two were holding on to the edge of the ticket booth, grinning up at the attendant with stars in their eyes. Lapis chuckled to herself. The young guy looked slightly terrified of the twin manic grins he was receiving. 

They made their way to the first exhibit, Steven and Connie once again rushing excitedly ahead. Though a stern look and “Hey!” from Lapis ensured it was a fast walk that didn’t let them get too far ahead. Peridot continued, “Honestly, a part of me wanted to go. But I’m pretty recognizable in those circles and I didn’t want to tip off the competition. Plus, the owner’s son would be there and the last time I was stuck in a room with his insufferable ass I broke his nose and kneed him in the crotch.” 

Lapis’ eyebrows raised in a half-surprised, half-impressed look. “That much fun, is he?” 

Peridot rolled her eyes. “He’s an arrogant, sexist asshole that believes he’s a gift to all women. He also thinks flashing some money will get him into the pants of any woman he wants. The last time I saw him, he spent the first ten minutes of our encounter flirting with me, despite the fact that I said no multiple times. Finally, I kindly informed him that I’m gay.” Lapis shot the other girl a surprised look. Obviously, she knew that the girl found women attractive, but this was the first time she’d actually mentioned anything about it. “He still tried to convince me to have some ‘fun’ and got insulted when I finally told him to go fuck himself, cause it was the most action he was ever going to get with his horrible personality. He tried to take a swing at me, so I incapacitated him until the police came to pick him up.” 

Lapis snorted. “Sounds like a charmer.” 

“Lapis! Peridot! Look at this!” Steven shouted excitedly. The two moved forward to join the young teenagers at the exhibit. Lapis looked incredulously up at the old plane. “Look! It’s the first plane ever! Isn’t that so cool?” Steven asked excitedly. 

“There’s no way this thing actually flew anywhere,” Lapis said skeptically. “It looks like something a kid would make as a school project.” 

“Actually, the first flight was almost a whole minute and they slowly but surely were able to extend the time from there,” Connie said. 

Lapis shook her head. They slowly but surely made their way through the exhibits. They were ordered from oldest to newest, so as they went through, the machines got more and more sophisticated. Lapis watched on proudly as Steven and Connie ran from one exhibit to the other. While the two were having fun, they were actually taking the trip somewhat seriously as well. They took pictures and notes at each exhibit they visited and spent half the time there talking about ideas for their presentation. Lapis was impressed. She was self-aware enough to know that she would not have done the same at their age. Hell, she wouldn’t do the same now. She was a notorious procrastinator. 

The bluenette’s eyes widened as they entered the next room. Alien ships surrounded them, coming in all different shapes and sizes. “Holy crap,” she murmured, just barely remembering to censor herself. She wandered over to the closest spacecraft. It was small (for a spaceship) and dark blue with white detailing. The design sort of reminded Lapis of a fighter jet, having a similar front and cockpit. Thought the back was a big larger than the sleek jet designs she’s seen in the movies. It had two wings going down the sides, and two fins sticking out from the bottom. To guns sat at the front of the large ship and a bigger weapon stuck out from the bottom. 

“What is that?” Steven asked quietly. He and Connie had sidled up beside her, seeming just as entranced as she was. 

“That is a Nevo stealth ship. It’s actual name can’t be pronounced using human vocal chords. However, the translation is apparently close to is Silent Striker. It’s a reconnaissance ship. A built in cloaking system and near-silent engine makes it the perfect ship for infiltration missions and data gathering,” Peridot supplied, stopping next to Lapis. 

“I thought the import of aliens and technology was banned on Earth. Are they allowed to have these here?” Lapis asked, unable to keep the awe out of her voice. The closest she’d come to seeing a spaceship were grainy pictures Ronaldo, Beach Cities resident conspiracy theorist, showed her. And she was pretty sure the most convincing one was actually just a blimp. 

“Technically neither aliens nor their technology is banned. The government is still debating whether or not they should be allowed. They’ve been deadlocked on the subject since before any of us were even born. Functional weaponry is illegal. If this thing was anything except just the shell of the ship, it would be extremely illegal. But all of these displays have had their parts gutted. They were apparently donated by several different alien races.” 

“Why would they do that?” Connie asked. “Aren’t they afraid seeing stuff like this will scare people? Or that the military will use it to find a way to build weapons to counteract theirs?” 

Peridot tilted her head from side to side, lips pursed in consideration. “Those are risks. However, there are many out there who want humans to look at aliens in a good light. Some want to be able to trade with us, some want to be allies and others hope humanity will just leave them alone. One thing they do understand though is that fear leads to hate, especially fear of the unknown. I think the hope is that if they provide more information about themselves, they will seem less mysterious to us. Less of a threat.” 

“I don’t know. A quiet, invisible ship with big guns seems pretty intimidating to me,” Lapis said, though she kept her tone casual. Despite the words, she was actually for interacting with and trading with animals. There had been a tone of reports talking about what an alliance with these other races could do for Earth’s technology and economy, especially when it came to medicine. 

“True. But it could also be awfully tempting to have that kind of technology working for you,” Peridot argued. The blonde’s jaw was clenched and something flashed in her eyes. If Lapis had to describe her expression, it would be a mix of grim and angry. “Where some people look at things like this and see a threat, others see an opportunity.” 

Lapis turned to look at her. “What about you? What do you see?” 

Peridot gave her a wistful smile. “I see my childhood, standing in this room with my mother, asking as many questions as I could. This has always been my favorite exhibit.” She turned back, looking up at the ship. “Although shrewd, adult me sees technology that could catapult humanity into a whole new technological era.” She shook her head before turning back to the others. “Come on. Let’s go explore the rest of the room. It’s not all doom and gloom. They have an Ulphar pilgrimage ship up near the front.” 

Lapis watched as the blonde lead the other two away, chatting on about the Ulphar’s home galaxy and how their people take a pilgrimage around their galaxy at least once in their lifetime. Lapis smiles at the way the blonde’s eyes shine, her enthusiastic voice pointing out the different ships and their uses. She preferred this to the quiet anger the blonde had displayed before. 

The group laughed and joked around as they walked down the street towards Rose’s office. Rose had made sure that her children knew to meet her at her office at six before they left this morning. From there, they were all supposed to go out to eat dinner together before they dropped Connie off at her home. They were cutting it close, with only five minutes left before the deadline. A worried Peridot had badgered the others until they finally left, not wanting to be responsible for the Universe children (plus Connie) being late. 

“You’re stressing out too much. Rose isn’t going to care if we’re late,” Lapis insisted. 

“Lapis, your mother likes me. And seeing as she’s the best lawyer in the state and is a very intimidating woman, I would like to keep it that way,” Peridot grumbled. 

“Are you sure you can’t come to dinner with us?” Steven asked, his tone bordering on a whine. 

“Not this time. I’ve got my own family dinner I’ve got to get back to. I told Mother I’d be back by seven.” Peridot grimaced. “Trust me. You don’t want to see Yellow Diamond when she’s angry.” 

“Aw man!” Steven complained. And continued to complain all the way to Rose’s office. The large woman was waiting for them outside and started laughing as soon as she heard her son. He perked up upon seeing her and ran forward to give her a hug. Connie chased along after him, but Lapis hesitated as she heard a ringtone go off. She turned back to see Peridot pause, pulling out her phone. The blonde gave the taller girl a reassuring smile and gestured for her to go join the others as she answered the phone. The bluenette obeyed, turning back and approaching her mother for a tight, warm hug. She closed her eyes and sighed happily. Steven and Rose always did give the best hugs. 

Her happy reverie was broken by Peridot’s frantic voice. “What?” she heard the blonde snap. “Fuck!” Immediately, she was concerned. Since her first slip, Peridot had always been careful to at least try to censor herself in front of Steven. She was even more self-conscious about swearing in front of Rose, so whatever news she’d just gotten must have been bad. “No! No, just stay there. Keep an eye on things for me and report any changes. I’m on-” 

“Peridot!” Lapis shouted in alarm. As the blonde had been talking, men turned out of an alley behind her. One carried a large pipe, while the others were armed with either small knives or pieces of wood. There were at least ten of the them. 

The blonde’s head snapped up, taking in Lapis expression before whipping around. She didn’t get a chance to react before the leader brought the pipe down on her head. The small blonde’s head snapped to the side, her hat falling off. He struck her once more before the blonde could get her bearings. She dropped her phone, staggering backwards. Lapis was surprised when she stayed on her feet. She moved forward to help the blonde and heard her mom following along behind her. 

The leader swung the pipe down on the blonde again. This time, she dodged to the side, swinging her foot around and catching the guy’s arm. He dropped his weapon and she punched him in the stomach. Lapis had just enough time to watch the guy hunch over, the blonde grabbing his hair and slamming his head into her knee. 

Then, Lapis was on another guy who’d moved to attack the blonde, catching his arm as he tried to thrust his knife forward. She bent his arm back with one hand, the other coming up to strike him on the nose, open-palmed. She heard his nose crack and felt the bone shift under her hand and took a moment to be thankful to Archer for teaching her that move. 

She swept his legs out from under him and kicked him one time in the head, knocking him out cold. She turned just in time to see Rose take another guy out, wincing as her mom landed a solid punch to the guys throat. She saw the group leader laid motionless at Peridot’s feet. The smaller blonde was currently kicking a pocket knife away from her feet, just in time to stop her opponent from retrieving it. He changed tactics, trying to grapple with her instead. Peridot lifted one leg and kicked his knee. Lapis grimaced as the guy let out a scream that was almost loud enough to cover the sound of his leg breaking. 

The man crumbled and Peridot quickly turned around, fists up and ready to face anyone else that came after her. Lapis felt like her world was spinning as she got a good look at her face. A long gash had opened up on the left side of her forehead. Blood ran down the left side of her face, over her eye. It dropped off her chin and ran down her neck, where it disappeared, blending in to her red top. It also stained part of her blonde hair a deep, dark red. There was so much blood. Too much. Was it normal for a head wound to bleed that much? 

A flash of silver broke the bluenette out of her horror struck state. She dodged just in time to avoid getting stuck by a knife, though it did open a long, thankfully shallow, cut on her arm. She swung her opposite arm around, fist slamming into the guys temple, fueled by her fear, frustration and rage. The thug crumpled to the floor and didn’t make any move to get up. 

A blood-curdling scream pierced the street drawing her attention. It was Connie. An old, beat up car had pulled up next to the kids while the fight broke out. Connie was in the arms of one of the men, the other was shoving something into the car. 

“Leave her alone! Don’t touch her!” Lapis felt her knees go week. The thug was shoving Steven in the back of the car. The boy was fighting against his captor, tears running down his face as he tried to get to his friend. Lapis took one look at his face, eyes blown wide in fear, before she started running toward the car. 

One of the thugs stepped in her path and she didn’t even have time to think. Instinct took over as she ducked under his swing, fist slamming into his abdomen. As he bent over in pain, a hard elbow to the back of the neck knocked him out. Another thug got in her way and she grabbed the front of his jacket, kneeing him in the stomach and then throwing him against the wall with an enraged scream. She knew she’d used too much of her enhanced strength in that move, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. 

When she looked back at the car, she saw the thug that had Connie was still holding her. Yet he didn’t move toward the car. If anything, it seemed he was trying to keep her away. That didn’t last long, as a well placed bite from the girl had him dropping her in an instant. He went to backhand her and suddenly Peridot was there. She grabbed the man by the back of the jacket and spun, using the momentum to slam him on the trunk of the car. Lapis had enough time to see her grab his hair and smack his head against the trunk once, twice, before the bluenette was on the guy still trying to keep Steven in the car. 

She delivered one swift punch to the side of his head before shoving him away. She reached out to grab hold of Steven...and a weight slammed against her back, knocking her to the side and on top of the other thug. She lost her breath as the guy that tackled her fell on top of her. She was still able to see Steven try to get out, when another figure grabbed him again. One arm wrapped around the boy’s waist, dragging him back in. Another slammed the door shut. 

Pain exploded behind her eyes as the guy’s fist made contact with her nose. She vaguely recognized the thug pulling back for another blow, but all she could focus on was the sound of swirling tires and a roaring car engine that was starting to get further away. She heard Connie scream again and the sobs that sounded from the young girl. She also heard the agonized cry of her mother, recognized the tears in her own voice. In the back of her mind, her subconscious registered the rarity of that. She could count on one hand the number of times she’s seen Rose cry. She couldn’t even remember a time that it wasn’t happy tears. 

Suddenly, a blonde blur tackled the man on top of her away, catching him before he could hit her again. As soon as the weight was released from her, she was on her feet, tearing off after the car. They have Steven. _They have Steven._ She has to get him back. 

As she ran, she heard shouting behind her. “Lapis, wait!” A grunt. “Damnit, hold still you fucking son of bitch! Lapis! LAPIS!” The words don’t actually register. She just keeps running. She turns a corner, tearing off down the street. She’s given up chasing the car. The last part of her mind that hasn’t completely given into instinct recognized that she’ll never be able to catch that car on foot. She needed to get to base. Steven’s phone had a tracker. Pearl could find him. 

Pearl. Garnet. Amethyst. They don’t know. 

With shaking hands, Lapis wrestled her phone from her pocket, typing in the number without breaking stride. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon,” she muttered as the phone range. Finally, she hears the tell-tale click of an answer. 

“Hello?” a cool, calm voice answers. 

“Garnet, they took him! We have to get him back! You guys have to meet me at the base, they took him!” she shouted frantically. 

“Lapis, Lapis. Slow down. They took who?” Garnet asks, though her voice is tight, strained. 

“They took Steven! They took Steven and we have to get him back!” 

Silence. Then, “Get to base. We’ll meet you there.” 

Lapis let out a desperate, agonized moan. “Garnet, they took him! Oh stars, what are we gonna do?” 

Garnet’s answer came instantly. No hesitation. “We’re going to get him back.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise double upload to make up for the fact that I was an ass and didn't update when I said I was going to. If you're interested in excuses, my second job picked up and birthday stuff got in the way. Either way, enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think! Like always, constructive criticism is welcome!

Leviathan was already dressed and ready to go when her sisters joined her. They rushed past her to get changed. The blue vigilante had never seen Pearl dress so quickly. Hell, she can’t even remember if she’d ever seen her sister move that quickly. She can’t find it in herself to be amused though. All she feels is numb. 

Nebula comes tearing back into the room and immediately goes to her computer. After some quick typing, she rose again, nodding to her sisters. “I know where he is.” Titan nodded. “Let’s move out Gems. We’re going to save Steven.” The others followed in line behind her and quickly took to the skies. 

They’d only been traveling for a couple minutes when a voice came to life on their communicators. “Gems! Can you hear me? I hacked into the cameras in the building Steven’s in! He’s fine. They aren’t hurting him. Wait for me and We can go there together.” None of the Gems bothered to dignify that with a response. Did Archer really expect them to leave their little brother there? Leave him alone with a bunch of thugs who are doing stars knows what to him? “Are any of you listening to me? You can’t just go barging in there! You’re going to get someone killed! Hello? Gems, answer me right now!” Leviathan saw Titan reach up and mute her com. The others quickly follow suit, cutting Archer off as they started to hurl obscenities. 

It wasn’t long before they got to the place the kidnappers were holding Steven. It was yet another warehouse. She was getting awfully tired of these. Titan approached the back door. Drawing her fist back, she punched the doors clean off their hinges. Leviathan heard startled yelps coming from inside, as well as a couple of pained-filled cries. They must have gotten hit by the doors. 

The Gems enter the building and take a moment to observe their surroundings. there were at least twenty men inside, all armed with guns. Two men stood near Steven, who was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. The rest of the men were spread out around the warehouse. Titan motioned for the others to attack before letting out a battle cry of her own, launching herself across the room and grabbing hold of one of the thugs. She swung him around and threw him into a stack of crates, which broke on impact. 

Leviathan froze two men off to the side as they aimed their guns at Nebula. Said vigilante was covering Purple Puma, her lasers taking out two men as the purple shapeshifter jumped on another, her wrestler form allowing her to take him down and choke him out. She shot ice at another thug. One well placed ice ball to the face knocked him out cold. No pun intended. 

In no time, the Gems had wiped out half of the opposing force. Another shot rang out, but this one was followed by a pained cry. Leviathan snapped around to see Nebula clutching one arm, red slowly seeping into her suit. She threw up an ice wall to cut off the bosses view of her sister, deducing that’s where the shot came from due to his smug grin. She ran, narrowly avoiding more bullets, before sliding behind her makeshift cover. “Nebula?” she asked grimly. 

“I’m okay. He just clipped me,” she responded, showing the other vigilante her arm as proof. 

“Damnit! That means at least one of them has an alien weapon,” Leviathan growled as the other two joined them. 

“Come out, come out! I’m eager to play!” a deep, teasing voice yelled. “I didn’t scare you off, did I?” The Crystal Gems exchanged looks, contemplating their next move. “If you won’t play with me, I’m sure your little friend here will! What do you think, boy? Do you like games?” 

Leviathan grit her teeth, moving out from behind cover at the threat to her brother. The others followed behind her. The shouter, and presumably leader, was a large man. He was at least as tall as Titan and built like a tank. He held a large rifle in one hand, the barrel casually leaning against his shoulder. He had dark hair and looked to be middle aged. He had a harsh, almost manic grin on his face. His eyes were full of malice, hate and a strange, disturbing excitement. 

“I’m so glad you decided to join us. Looks like the kid doesn’t like to play after all. Now, who wants to go first? I like to call this game, ‘Tommy Puts A Hole In My Head’!” he yells, before opening fire on the vulnerable vigilantes. They quickly scatter. Nebula and Leviathan try to contain him from a distance, but he’s standing so close to Steven that they don’t want to risk an errant shot hitting the boy. 

Leviathan managed to make her way slowly but surely closer to the center of the warehouse, and, consequently, closer to Steven and the gun toting maniac near him. Amethyst, Nebula and Titan tried their best to work with her, keeping “Tommy” distracted. It didn’t help that there were still about seven guys that were also trying to get a piece of them. Several times, the others had to abandon their distraction plan in order to take out someone else that was trying to come after them. 

Finally Leviathan managed to get a good angle on the two closest to Steven. She sent a solid stream of water towards the one next to the leader. The one still aiming his gun at Steven. She enveloped him in water and quickly froze him, managing to keep enough control over herself to make sure the thug could still breathe. 

“Damnit! Fuck you!” Tommy screamed, enraged. He released a hail of gunfire on Leviathan, forcing her to duck back behind her cover. Cover that seemed to do very little for her. Finally she heard of series of clicks that told her he was reloading. She moved out of cover, only to find him waiting for her, the barrel of his rifle only about a foot away from her face. “Game over,” he said, grinning wickedly. Leviathan felt a flash of paralyzing fear hit her before a tell-tale whistling sound pierced the air. 

She’d expected the arrow to pierce his arm. Maybe knock the gun out of his hands. She’d been ready to take him down as soon as he was disarmed. But the guy wasn’t that lucky. The arrow came from behind, slamming into his neck and coming out the other side. It lodged itself into his throat and Leviathan watched his eyes widen, heard a strangled, pained, choked sound leave his throat. He dropped his gun, hands reaching up to scrabble at his throat. On hand wrapped around the arrow shaft. 

Tommy made another choked sound and blood bubbled out of his mouth as he fell to his knees, struggling to breathe. Lapis saw his eyes roll back in his head before he fell over. She reached down to check his pulse, despite already knowing what she would find. There was no pulse. He was dead. 

“They got Tommy!” she heard someone call out. 

“Damn bastards! Light the place up and let’s get out of here!” another yelled. 

That snapped her out of her trance. Her head snapped up just as explosions shook the warehouse. The exits were quickly engulfed in flames. She saw several shadowed figures duck out of the building before the exits were cut off. The sound of creaking metal brought her attention to the ceiling. Just in time to see some of the roofs support beams cave in. Right over Steven. “No!” she screamed, hearing similar cries from her sisters. She ran for him. She didn’t know if it was just her mind playing tricks on her, but it felt like moving through molasses to get to him. 

Then, the metal stopped, hanging in mid-air. and she stopped with it. Mouth dropped open in shock. Shaking her head to snap herself out of the shock, she scrambled forward, kneeling down to release Steven. Quickly snapping the ropes that held him, she looked up to ask if he was okay, only to see his face. It was pale, mouth dropped open and eyes wide. She followed his gaze and could feel her own face fall into a similar configuration. 

Archer was standing on one of the surviving support beams. their arm was pointed down, reaching towards the tons of metal hanging in the air. Leviathan’s enhanced eyesight allowed her to see the smaller vigilante shaking with the effort. They were holding up the wreckage, keeping it from crashing to the ground and crushing Leviathan and Steven. 

That last thought snapped her out of her stupor and she grabbed Steven. The boy wrapped his arms around her neck and his legs around her waist. She’s abruptly reminded of when the Gems first came to the Universe home. How she and the others used to hold him just like this and carry him around the house. Rose had joked that she was worried he would forget how to walk, his new sisters always insisting on carrying him around. After all, if he was close, they could protect him. They could keep him safe. 

Leviathan held him tight as she jogged off, whispering words of comfort and reassurance. She saw Titan swoop in past her and heard the sound of cracking ice. The other vigilante came back to her side, toting the thug she’d frozen. As soon as they were clear, Archer let the wreckage go. It crashed to the ground with a sound Leviathan was sure would echo in her soul for years to come. That was almost Steven. That was almost her little brother. 

She saw Archer drop down from the roof. The rogue ran and grabbed one of the unconscious goons, slinging him over one shoulder. They turned and headed toward another one, shouting over their shoulder, “Grab them! If we leave them in here they’re going to die!” The Crystal Gems scrambled to follow their orders, gathering the men. Leviathan used her powers to douse the flames in front of one of the exits. 

They all managed to escape, not including Tommy, and the group ran across the street, ducking into a derelict building. They deposited the men on the floor. Leviathan finally let Steven down, only to find the boy and herself surrounded by the rest of their family. They found themselves wrapped up into a tight group hug. Leviathan could feel her sisters shaking with relief. It was only then that she realized she and Steven were also trembling. 

When they broke apart, they found Archer kneeling over one of the unconscious men, checking him over. “What are you doing?” Nebula asked, her voice raspy from tears. 

“Checking to make sure you idiots didn’t kill anyone,” Archer replied, not bothering to look up from the knocked out goon. Leviathan recognized barely controlled rage in their voice. 

“Like you’re one to talk! You shish kabobed one of them!” Purple Puma said defensively. Archer’s shoulders bunch up and Leviathan instantly knows that this was the wrong thing to say. 

“I wouldn’t have had to if you would have just listened! What the fuck were you thinking? You all could have gotten someone hurt, or even worse killed! Do you not realize how much jeopardy your actions put you in? Put him in?” Archer roared, pointing at Steven. “If you stupid, stubborn idiots would have just waited, we would have been able to take them down with no casualties! I had to kill a man because you rushed into a situation you knew nothing about and almost got yourselves killed! Not to mention an entire buildings worth of evidence is burning up down the street!” “We weren’t about to leave Steven behind there! Who knows what they were doing to him?” Nebula argued. 

“I knew! And I told you! Before you barged in like herd of bulls, they weren’t doing anything but twiddling their thumbs!” 

“Why should we trust a single word you say?” Titan spoke up, her voice quiet and almost...hurt. 

“Excuse me?” Archer growled. 

“Why should we trust a damn thing you say when you’ve been lying to us this whole time? You’re one of us! And you never mentioned a fucking thing! Are you part of Nem-” 

“Shut your fucking mouth this instant!” Archer hissed. “If you’re really bringing that up here, where anyone could overhear, you’re stupider than I thought.” The rogue spoke quietly, so much so that even Steven wouldn’t be able to hear them. More confirmation of what they’d been hiding all along. “I don’t owe you a damn thing. All I’ve tried to do is help you. I didn’t think you were ready to know. And tonight just proves that I was right. None of you are ready.” 

“You don’t get to decide-” 

“Enough.” Leviathan cut off Titan’s argument. Her voice was quiet, but she might as well have shouted with how effectively it silenced the others. “Enough. Yes, Archer lied. But we haven’t exactly made it easy for them. They’ve always tried to help us and we’ve only met them with anger and suspicion. Enough is enough.” The blue-clad vigilante turned to Archer. “Thank you for helping us save Steven. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry you had to kill someone for me. That couldn’t’ve been easy.” 

It was quiet for a moment, everyone staring at Leviathan in shock. Finally, Archer sighed, relaxing from their aggressive stance. “It was either you or him. I’d only just gotten there and I didn’t have a chance for a better shot, so I took the one I had.” Archer shook their head sadly. “I don’t take life lightly. I much prefer protecting it. However, I can’t say that I regret it.” 

The green-clad vigilante sighed again. “We’ll talk more later. We don’t have enough time for any long discussions. Go back and get changed. I’ll call the cops and make sure everything is taken care of here before I leave. Go.” 

“Come on, Steven,” Nebula said. 

Archer shook their head, stepping forward and placing a restricting hand on the boy’s shoulder. “No, he’s coming with me.” They raised their hand to cut off any protests, lowering their voice once again. “These men have already seen what could be interpreted as an unusual attachment to the kid. You don’t want someone who’s too smart for their own good trying to connect the lines. If criminals figure out what he is to you, he’ll be in even more danger. I promise, I’ll call the cops and then take him straight to the hospital. I’ll even contact his mother on the way. You go take care of everything you need to and meet him there. I won’t let anything happen to him. I swear.” 

The Crystal Gems hesitated before Leviathan finally spoke up. “Thank you.” She knelt down in front of Steven, giving him a long, tight hug. “We’ll be right back, okay? You won’t even have enough time to miss us.” He nodded, squeezing her tight before letting her go and moving on to the next Gem. Leviathan rose and nodded to Archer before heading out. She and the others had a lot to think about. Archer POV 

Archer slammed her fists against the table as she got nothing but radio silence from the comms. What the hell are those clods thinking? They’re going to get someone fucking killed. Whether that’s themselves, Steven or the thugs that took him is yet to be seen. She ran her hands over her face before grabbing her helmet, pulling it on. She activated her hoverboard and ran up to the roof, quickly jumping into the air and flying out. She opened a private channel on her comms. 

“Did you get ahold of them?” Prism asked. 

“No. I think they disabled their comms. They’re determined to try and get the boy back now,” Archer replied. 

“I’m coming back. I’m not just going to stand by and let you run into an unknown situation with no backup.” 

“No, I need you to stay with Suzanne Calvert. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that a group of thugs tried to kidnap her right before they took Steven. It’s probably The Brute’s men. Even if he was arrested yesterday morning, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was able to organize some kind of revenge plan from the inside.” 

“But why would they take the kid? And why just the kid? You said they didn’t seem the least bit interested in his friend,” Prism asked, allowing her frustration to leak into her tone. 

“Could be a few different motives. Maybe their real target was Rose, but she was too hard to get to in the middle of the scuffle. Or maybe they wanted Hunt, but she left before they had a chance to strike and he was the next best thing. It’s also possible they want to trade him for Hunt. Or they might hope that kidnapping him will scare his mother off the case. She is a high profile lawyer.” Archer sighed. “We won’t really know until we can either get them behind bars and read the police reports or interrogate them ourselves.” Archer spotted the warehouse. “I’m here. I’ll keep you updated.” 

“You better,” Prism grumbled before cutting out. 

Archer landed on the roof, using a skylight to gain entry to the warehouse. She made her way along the support beams, taking a moment to quickly survey the room. A figure trapped in solid ice stood next to Steven. The boy seemed unharmed, other than being tied to chair in the middle of the room. Bodies of criminals were strewn about the place. Purple Puma had transformed into a cheetah at some point and was darting between cover, seeming to purposely be drawing fire. Titan was throwing pretty much anything she could get her hands on. Nebula was alternating between shooting lasers and taking cover when return fire came. 

Archer looked around for Leviathan. She spotted her just in time to see her get cornered by a man. She recognized a Vravak rifle. The same model was sitting on the weapons rack at her base. She also knew it could easily piece through any armor Leviathan was wearing. It took about a second for her to process this information and one more for the cold feeling of fear to slither its way into her heart. Another second was spent drawing her bow and one more spent notching an arrow. She didn’t have the time to waste, but she spent two more looking for any other option. Anything but this. 

Finding nothing, her mouth set into a grime line and she pulled the arrow back, taking one last second to aim before releasing. The arrow flew true, sailing through the air only to lodge itself in the large man’s neck. She watched as the man died, another arrow drawn and ready just in case he, against the odds, found some way to try to hurt the other vigilante. 

Then she heard the men give the order to blow the building. She barely had time to brace herself before explosions shook the building. She was almost thrown off her perch. A creaking sound grabbed her attention. Her head snapped to the side as the sound of screeching metal hit her ears. She watched as the group of support beams next to her perch fell. 

This time, she didn’t have time to look for another option. She immediately threw her hand out, catching the large pieces of metal and stopping their descent. As the beams stopped, she jerked forward, struggling to hold the huge amount of wight. She grimaced, her other arm shooting out to grab the beam next to her. White exploded behind her eyes as pain radiated through her head. She attempted to shake away the pain, focusing on holding the hefty amounts of metal currently threatening to crush the people below. 

Once everyone was clear, she let the debris fall and dropped down. She grabbed one of the kidnappers, slinging him over her should. She winced as her head once again throbbed. After ordering the others to do the same, she grabbed one more man, arm around his waist as he hung from her grip. She lead the others to a safe place and set her charges on the floor. 

When she looked back up, she saw the family wrapped in a group hug, shaking. A part of her wanted to join them in their relief. However, another part of her saw the empty eyes of a dead man and the fear in a boy’s face as he watches debris fall towards him. The same part of her sees a blue-clad vigilante moment’s before she is shot to death. And the same part sees herself, revealing a secret she’d had no intention of telling anyone yet. Of being forced to kill and expose herself within moments of each other. Her head throbs again and her vision blurred and the world seemed to spin around her. 

The next thing she registers is yelling, and it takes a moment to realize the voice belongs to her. She tries to reign in her anger. Tries to express that she was scared. Worried that she wouldn’t get there in time. Terrified that this loving family would perish while she was just out of reach. But she can’t stop yelling. 

Only Titan saying the name of the organization that made her life a living hell snaps her out of the fear and worry. Though it is replaced with anger. Rage that blinds her. The only thing that seems to stop her from yelling again are her instincts, her natural aversion to shouting anything that has to do with those bastards. 

Finally, a soft voice breaks through the fog in her mind. She registers Leviathan thanking her. Apologizing to her. And now that the fog is somewhat lifted, she finally feels like she can function. She feels calmed again. Steady. 

She thought convincing the Crystal Gems to leave Steven with her would be harder. But they leave him with her after she promises to get him to safety. It’s a promise she takes seriously. As soon as she’s done calling the police, she leads Steven out of the building and down a back alley. She reaches up and activates her communicator. “Prism? Are you there?” 

She responds automatically and Archer relaxes as her friend’s voice washes over her. “Yeah, I’m here. Are you alright? Is the kid okay?” 

“He’s fine. I was able to get there just in time. The Gems are alright, only minor injuries. We managed to catch most of the kidnappers, but the warehouse is destroyed. I’m taking the kid to the hospital and I’ll rendezvous with you after. What about Suzanne?” Archer asked as she activated her hoverboard, instructing Steven on where to stand. The boy wrapped his arms around her and she held him tightly as they took the air. 

“Safe. She’s back home and has a whole squad of bodyguards watching over her.” 

Archer sighed in relief. “Alright. Head back to base. We’ll keep an eye on her, but I think she’s in the clear for now. A couple of the kidnappers escaped, but we were able to round up most of them. I doubt the others will get far when their buddies learn they tried to bury them in that building.” 

Prism grunted in agreement. “Gotcha. I’m heading out now. Be careful.” 

“You too.” 

Archer landed in front of the hospital and lead Steven inside. Her skin crawled as she felt many sets of eyes on her and the boy. She liked keeping a low profile and waltzing into a large, busy hospital with a kidnap victim was not in her comfort zone. She lead Steven to the counter, leaning over it to address the receptionist. “This boy was kidnapped this afternoon. He needs a checkup.” The receptionist stared at her with wide, shocked eyes and Archer felt a flare of annoyance bloom in her chest. “Hello? Kidnapped kid here? Needs someone to look over him? Now,” she growled. 

The receptionist jerked back, like the words had only just registered, before nodding. In no time, the two were sitting in a private room. The staff had given the soot covered, green clad vigilante startled looks when she followed after the boy, but made no move to stop her. Whether that was out of respect or fear, she wasn’t sure. A doctor quickly checked the boy over, determining that Steven had a concussion, likely gained when he was being shoved into the car, and would have to be kept overnight for observation. 

The staff set the boy up in a bed with an IV (something Steven was extremely unhappy about) and hooked him up to the appropriate monitors. Then, they left the two alone, the doctor informing the pair that he would notify Steven’s family. As they waited, Archer’s vision once again swam, pain radiating from her head. She grimaced, one hand clutching her head while the other reached out, grabbing the wall for support. 

“Are you okay?” a small, scared voice penetrated through the fog of pain. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision before looking over at Steven. She took a moment to really look at him. His eyes were wide and full of fear, darting around the room when he wasn’t busy shooting her worried looks. He also refused to look at her for too long, though his eyes did keep darting back to her. Similar to her, he was covered in sweat and soot. He looked dirty and tired and terrified. 

Archer pushed away from the wall, ignoring the pain and the way her world spun, moving to stand next to the boy. She ruffled his fluffy black hair. “I’m okay,” she said, though her voice came out somewhat pained. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I’m okay. And so are your sisters and you. Everyone’s fine. The doctor is calling your parents and your family will be here soon. You’re safe.” She tried her best to speak soothingly. 

Steven lowered his voice, “Is it because you used your powers? Or because you had to…” Steven trailed off and grimaced, tears filling his eyes. 

Archer did her best to remain calm, though guilt and fury raged in her heart. She sighed and moved to lean back against the checkup table, crossing her arms. She lowered her own voice, speaking so only Steven would be able to hear her. “It was either that guy or Leviathan. I don’t regret the choice I made. That man was somewhere he shouldn’t have been, doing something he shouldn’t have been doing. He was willing to end the lives of others. In fact, he was reveling in it. Whereas Leviathan was just trying to help. She was trying to save you. And she didn’t just risk her own life to save you, she does it to help people again and again. I don’t regret the choice I made. If I was put in the same situation, I would make the same choice every time.” 

She watches the boy bow his head, shoulders hunching in on themselves. She sighs and rests her hand on his head, causing him to perk up and look up at her. “I don’t regret the choice I made, but it tears me up that I had to make it in the first place. No matter what his choices, I mourn for his loss. Life is not something people should take lightly, and I’m no exception. But I know that in my line of work, it is sometimes necessary. I accept that responsibility.” 

Steven looks down contemplatively before meeting her eyes again. “Like police officers and soldiers, right? They have to hurt people to help sometimes.” 

Though the boy can’t see it, Archer smiles gratefully. She nods and ruffles his hair. She opens her mouth to continue reassuring the boy, but before she can the door bursts open and the Universe family tumbled in. They immediately swarmed the bed, Archer quickly dodging out of the way to avoid being swept up in the mass of hugs and kisses and tears. 

The group hug seemed to last forever before they broke apart. Archer tried to slip out while everyone was distracted, but Rose caught hold of her wrist. She paused, waiting for the older woman to speak. She did, speaking so low her own family probably couldn’t hear her. “Thank you. Thank you so much for saving my family. All of my family,” she said, giving the vigilante a meaningful look. “They told me what you did for Steven and for them. I will never be able to thank you enough.” Archer scoffed. “Your family was most likely targeted because of my interference. I asked you to represent Erica Hunt, the highest probability is Tony Calvert planned some kind of revenge while he was behind bars. His daughter was almost kidnapped today as well. It is extremely unlikely that that is a coincidence.” 

Rose shook her head. “I was and still am happy to help Erica.” Instead of gripping her arm, the larger woman rubbed her forearm soothingly. “Archer, none of this is your fault.” Rose pursed her lips, face pained. “They also told me what you did for Leviathan. What you were forced to do. And I just want to say, you did a good job. It is unfortunate, devastating, that you had to do that. That being said, I can only thank you for what you did. Thank you for making the choice that I’m not sure any of the Crystal Gems would have been able to make.” 

Archer nodded her head in thanks, before being pulled into a surprise hug by the larger woman. The sudden movement caused pain to flare once again and she stumbled slightly, using the pink-haired woman to steady herself. Rose held onto her, only pulling back when she was sure the rogue was steady on her feet. She shot the green-clad girl a startled, worried look. One that Archer recognized because she saw it on Steven only minutes before. “Are you alright?” she asked. 

“I’m fine.” Archer replied quickly. Too quickly. 

Rose gave a frustrated sigh and shook her head before fixing the girl with a stern look. “Let me rephrase that. Are you injured?” 

Archer remained stubbornly silent for a moment before pulling away from the large women. “Like I said, I’m fine.” She backed away quickly. “I have to go. Keep an eye open the next few days. We might not be out of the woods yet.” With that last warning, she ducked out of the room, ignoring Rose and Steven’s twin concerned calls of protest. 

She strode through the halls, making her way out of the hospital as quickly as she could. More than once, she had to dodge out of the way of some hurrying nurse or stretcher. Archer felt disoriented. The lights were so bright and everything was so loud. She had to get out of here. Right now. The pain that had been throbbing in her head all night was steadily growing. Her teeth ground together and her jaw cramped, it was locked so tight. 

Finally, she exited the hospital. The cool wind, dark night and sudden quiet like a balm to her feverish body and overwhelmed mind. _Need to get back_ , she thought, activating her hoverboard. She stepped onto and launched into the sky before a flash of darkness overwhelmed her. 

When she regained her vision, she was on the roof of her base. _How?_ She stumbled through the door. Another flash of darkness. 

She was in front of the door to the basement. Pushing it open, she fell through, landing on her hands and knees. She could feel something warm, hot, burning hot on her face. “Archer?” She heard a voice. It was a curious call and some logical part of her new that it wasn’t very loud. But at the same time it was too loud and it felt like her head would split open at any second. “Archer!” the voice screamed. She managed to raise her head and recognized the dark face of her friend. Before she could say anything or reach out, a flash of white blinded her. Then, all she knew was darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Okay, so I know I said I wasn't sure how I felt about this chapter and asked for you guys to give me feedback, and you did. Thank you! Specifically Theblackwolfish commented that it was a little weird that despite about a dozen people were in the hospital room, only Peridot and Lapis really interact with each other. This helped me realize that I agreed, so I added some more interactions in and I personally think it's better. Let me know what you guys think!
> 
> Oh, and Largay actually pointed out something that I hadn't considered before. I made my summary purposely vague, but I now realize that mentioning Green Arrow might have thrown some of you guys off. The show inspired me to have a badass archery-based hero, but the rest of the story does NOT follow the show. So no need to worry about missing anything or getting lost if you haven't seen the show. Also, no need to worry about getting the show spoiled for you if you read this! Win-win!

Lapis had never felt more emotionally drained in her life. She was so relieved to have Steven back safe and sound. She was still furious they’d taken him in the first place. Underneath the fury, fear ate away at her heart. There was so much that could have (and did) go wrong during their rescue attempt. She was thankful to Archer for saving not only Steven’s life, but her own as well. However, one of her strongest feelings, was guilt. She felt guilty for not listening to Archer. Guilty that the other vigilante had to take a life because of her. Guilty that they’d been so suspicious, belligerent and arrogant towards them, despite the fact that they’d only ever tried to help. Lapis figured she has this emotional cocktail, along with stress, to blame for the quiet, but intense fight she and the rest of the Gems, particularly Garnet, found themselves in. 

It was late. Steven had long since fallen asleep. Rose and Greg sleeping on a couple of cots the hospital had provided. At first, the staff had been adamant that they could not all stay with the boy. Luckily, a mix of threatening that they would have to call the police to get them out and interference from Connie’s mother convinced the rest of the staff to provide them with some extra cots to sleep on. She’d been an unexpected, but welcomed ally, having apparently come to check Steven over herself at the insistence of Connie. 

“I don’t trust them, Lapis.” Garnet’s voice snapped her back to the present. 

The bluenette pursed her lips in distaste. “How exactly has Archer done anything to prove themselves untrustworthy? They’ve done nothing but try to help us! And what a great job we’ve done of paying them back!” she growled sarcastically. 

“They lied to us! Archer is a mutant, just like us! And they thought it wasn’t important to mention it? Why should we trust someone like that?” 

“She does have a point, Lapis. Why would Archer hide something like that?” Pearl added, though her tone was much more subdued than the other two. While she and Amethyst generally agreed with Garnet, they were mainly observing the argument with growing unease. While the sisters were known to bicker at times, it was extremely rare for any of them to get into a fight. 

Lapis ran a hand through her hair in frustration. “Why should they have to offer us anything else? Archer’s already given us time, gear, knowledge, training...do you guys honestly expect them to give us their life story as well? Especially considering the way we’ve treated them? That’s pretty damn hippocrytical. If Archer had never figured out our backgrounds, we would never have told them.” 

“Well, yeah, but we also never attempted to hide what we are. Who knows what they know about other mutants. Or Nemesis.” Amethyst pointed out. 

“That’s because until Archer stepped in, we didn’t have any other way to defend ourselves.” 

“The bottom line is that we don’t know anything about them. Or their alliances. They could be working for Nemesis for all we know!” Garnet snapped. 

“Enough!” Lapis glared at her sisters, furious that they refused to see, to acknowledge, what she’s already discovered. “You are all acting like trust is something that should just be given, but it’s not! It has to be earned, by both parties. And so far, Archer has done a lot more to earn our trust than we have to earn theirs. Think about when we first went to live with the Universes. They had to earn our trust, but we had to earn theirs, too. Or did you forget that Rose and Greg wouldn’t leave us alone with Steven for weeks? Or what about how they walked on eggshells around us for months as they learned what triggers we had? 

We should have listened to Archer. We should have trusted them. Because everything they’ve done since we met them has been to help us. You want to talk about earning trust? What about when they treated Amethyst’s wounds?” She saw the small girl flinch at the reminder, a guilty look overcoming her face. “Or what about when they gave Pearl a hoverboard so she wouldn’t have to depend on us if she needs to move quick?” Pearl looked away, shame-faced. The bluenette fixed Garnet under her stare. “Or what about last week, when they gave you high-calorie snack bars that they developed themselves, using their own time, money and resources.” 

Lapis saw Garnet’s jaw clench. She looked away, rubbing her hand over her face in frustration. “I know. I know! But we don’t know what this means. What Archer being one of us means. We don’t know who they are, how old they are...we thought that we our group was the only ones. But Archer seems to have so much more experience. What if they’re older? What if this means there are more mutants than we thought?” Garnet hesitated, voice lowering even further, as if she didn’t want to hear her next words leave her mouth. “What if she’s younger? What if Nemesis survived?” 

At that moment, Lapis understood where the others were coming from. They were afraid of what this revelation meant on a larger scale. Ever since they escaped FBI custody, they’d lived in fear of Nemesis returning. Of the organization capturing them again, or hurting their family. It was a fear that had haunted their dreams for years. To this day, Lapis sometimes woke up in a cold sweat, choking down a scream as she tried to get her bearings. To remind herself she was safe at home, not trapped in a cage. 

She knew that fear must have been even worse for Garnet. She prided herself in being a leader, a guardian. Someone that the others could turn to for help and guidance. She was their rock. If the worst did happen, they would likely turn to Garnet. And Lapis realized, with a sinking feeling, that Garnet was terrified of not knowing what to do in that situation. 

Lapis sighed. “I get it. And I hope that’s not the case. The last thing anyone wants is those starforsaken assholes returning. But that’s just means we have an even better reason to work together with Archer. They can teach us how to defend ourselves. That way, if those bastards ever show their faces again, we’ll be ready.” 

Garnet released a shaky breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” She grimaced, rubbing the back of her neck. “I guess I owe Archer an apology as well.” 

“We all owe Archer an apology,” Pearl added, stepping forward and resting a comforting hand on Garnet’s arm. 

Amethyst kicked the ground and sighed. She was trying to appear unfazed, but Lapis could tell she felt guilty. “Yeah. We’ve been acting totally lame.” 

Pearl clapped her hands together, gaining everyone’s attention. “So we’re agreed. Right now, however, we should try to get some sleep.” 

Amethyst rolled her eyes. “How are we supposed to do that with people coming in and out to wake up Steven?” she grumbled. 

Pearl gave her a sharp look and got into what Lapis liked to call her lecture pose. It included the engineer putting her hands on her hips, leaning slightly forward. The stern look completed the stance. “It’s standard protocol for someone with a concussion. Better that than having him slip into a coma. Besides, it won’t bother you. You sleep like the dead.” 

Amethyst stuck her tongue out and Pearl. Lapis and Garnet met each other’s eyes, the former rolling hers in fond exasperation. Garnet’s lips twitched up in one of her signature small smiles. The sisters made their way to the empty cots left in the room. Lapis collapsed onto hers, the events of the day finally catching up with her. She was just beginning to drift off when she felt someone kiss her forehead and adjust her blanket. She sleepily opened her eyes, blurred vision full of pink before it cleared enough for her to recognize Rose. The large woman smiled fondly down at her. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispered. Place one more kiss on Lapis’ forehead, she continued, “And I’m so glad you’re safe. I love you.” Lapis smiled as her eyes closed once more, a sleepy “Love you too” leaving her lips as she was swept into oblivion. 

The night was anything but restful. Everyone dozed, but not all of them slept like a rock (lucky Amethyst). Every time someone would come to check on Steven during the night, Lapis would wake up as well. By the time morning rolled around, she was dreaming of her bed at home. 

“Steven!” a voice shouted. Lapis jerked out of sleep, groaning in pain at the crick in her neck. This was by far the worst wake up call of the night/day. Until, that is, Lapis recognized the voice. She sat up in time to see Connie throw her arms around Steven, crying into his shoulder. She smiled at Steven’s sleepy, bewildered look. It expanded into a full-on grin as she watched realization, relief and excitement wash over his face as he realized who was hugging him. His own eyes grew watery before he squeezed them closed, hugging the young girl tight and releasing his own joyous cry. 

Meanwhile, a chorus of grumbling and groans echoed around the room, the commotion enough to stir even Amethyst from her hibernation. “Wazzit?” Lapis heard the purple-haired girl mumble as she jerked awake. 

“Connie! I told you to go in quietly,” Dr. Maheswaran admonished as she entered at a more sedate pace than her daughter. Lapis noted she was smiling, however, and the admonishment sounded half-hearted at best. Like it was said more out of habit than anything else. 

“Hello Priyanka. It’s good to see you again. I’m happy the circumstances are better than yesterday,” Rose greeted, rising from her bed and crossing the room, pulling Dr. Maheswaran into a hug. 

The darker woman seemed surprised, but after a moment’s hesitation, returned the hug. “I agree. I’m happy to see that Steven is recovering nicely,” she replied. “Once we heard the news that he’d been found, Connie insisted on coming to check on him. We were wary about letting her out of the house so soon after...well, we ended up making a compromise that I would check on him then and she could come with me to work in the morning. If he’s cleared to leave, she wants to go home with you all. I hope that’s okay?” 

Rose seemed surprised, but she smiled happily. “Of course! We love having Connie over. She’s such a sweetheart.” Her smiled turned a little sad and her voice lowered to the point that the younger children wouldn’t overhear. “I’m surprised you’re comfortable leaving her with us after everything that’s happened.” 

Dr. Maheswaran shifted nervously, looking ashamed. “Well, at first we weren’t. What happened wasn’t your fault, or Steven’s, but we were worried for her safety. But Connie insisted she still get to see Steven, even threatened to run away. I was worried she might start trying to sneak off to see him. I just want to protect her, and I can’t do that if I don’t know where she is or what she’s doing. I didn’t want her to feel like she had to lie to me,” she replied, matching Rose’s volume. Rose’s brow raised, seemingly impressed, but unsurprised, by Connie’s commitment to her son. “Besides, you and your daughter did protect her and keep her safe. And I will never be able to thank you enough for that.” 

The dark skinned woman turned to approach Steven’s bed. “But I might be able to start by giving you some good news. I’m going to check you over and if everything looks good, Steven will be cleared and you can all get some much deserved rest at home.” She smiled down at the curly-haired boy. 

After a quick check-up, Dr. Maheswaran officially declared that Steven could go home. This caused cheer from the boy and his family, something Connie eagerly joined in on. She only looked slightly remorseful when her mother fixed her with a stern look, reminding everyone that there were still patients trying to rest in the other rooms. The Universe family, with Connie in tow, poured out of the hospital room and made their way to the reception. Rose had just finished filling out Steven’s discharge papers when a flash of bright colors out of the corner of Lapis’ eye caught her attention. 

“Bismuth?” she asked, staring at the large woman in shock. She looked awful. Her hair was a mess and she had dark bags under her eyes. She still wore her usual suit, but the jacket was missing and her tie wasn’t tied correctly, like she’d done it in a hurry. One corner of her shirt was also untucked. It was the haunted, devastated look in her eyes that drew Lapis’ attention the most though. 

Steven, Connie and the Gems hurried over to the darker woman. “Bismuth! What’s wrong?” Steven asked loudly, eyes clouded with worry. 

Bismuth blinked, seemingly struggling to register what they were saying for a moment. Like her brain couldn’t catch up with the events that were happening. She sighed, running a hand over her face. “I was just getting some coffee,” she murmured. 

“You know, if you need some coffee, I can recommend some better places than the hospital. The coffee tastes like bitter sludge here,” Amethyst commented, though she also looked concerned. Lapis new her go to way of dealing with things was joking and sarcasm, so she wasn’t surprised. 

Bismuth shook her head. “No, I...sorry. I forgot for a second that you don’t know. Peridot was admitted into the hospital last night.” 

Lapis was immediately flooded with guilt. Between Steven getting kidnapped, the horrible mess that was his rescue, Archer revealing their a mutant and staying at the hospital with Steven, Peridot had completely slipped her mind. She’d assumed that the other girl would get help after the fight, but she didn’t realize that the blonde was that injured. She should’ve double checked. Looking around, she saw the same guilt plainly on the others’ faces. Some friends they were. 

“Is she going to be okay?” she asked, pulling Steven into a one-armed hug as he tears began to run down his panicked face. 

Bismuth nodded, then shrugged. Lapis frowned worriedly at the mixed response. “The doctor’s think she’ll make a full recovery. But they’re worried because she hasn’t woken up yet. Her family and I have been with her all night, but there hasn’t been any changes so far. I’d offered to get us some coffee while we waited. 

One look at Steven’s anxious, but determined face told her that he wouldn’t leave now. And she couldn’t blame him, since she felt the same. “Can we go see her?” Lapis asked. “Just to make sure she’s okay? I don’t think any of us would feel comfortable leaving until we saw her ourselves.” 

Bismuth hesitated, but it was another voice that answered. “You may see her if you wish. I know she would be happy if she knew you came to visit her.” 

Lapis jumped. She felt better when she noticed she wasn’t the only one. Spinning around, she came face-to-face with Yellow Diamond. Like Bismuth, she didn’t seem to be as put together as she was before, though she was slightly better off. She was wearing more casual clothes, a simple long-sleeved shirt and jeans. Though her clothes were wrinkled and her short hair was messy, like she didn’t bother to fix it. 

“Ms. Diamond. I would say it’s good to see you again, but considering the circumstances…” Garnet trailed off, shaking the other woman’s hand. Yellow simply nodded, also seeming to be at a loss for words. Rose, like Garnet, stepped forward, extending her hand. “Yellow,” she greeted with a calm smile. 

Yellow Diamond gave Rose a once over before shaking her hand. “Rose,” she responded. Lapis frowned. As far as she knew, this was the first time the two women had met. However, they greeted each other with an air of familiarity. It was odd. Something she filed away for further thought later. 

Connie looked up at her mom. “Can I go too? Peridot helped fight off those thugs and she...she protected me. I want to make sure she’s going to be okay.” 

Dr. Maheswaran nods. “I’ll go with you. Check her progress.” 

Yellow smiled down at Connie. “That sounds like Peridot. She has a very strong moral compass. She’s never able to leave someone who needs help.” Yellow Diamond’s expression turned to a cold glare as she eyed Bismuth. “She shouldn’t have had to defend anyone though.” The large woman’s jaw clenched and she looked down, though Lapis could tell it was because she agreed with Yellow. Bismuth blamed herself. 

“Hey, that’s not fair. Peridot ordered Bismuth to leave. She insisted she go to a rival’s presentation. I was there, Bismuth honestly did try to convince Peridot that separating was a bad idea. It’s not her fault,” Lapis defended, meeting Yellow’s gaze defiantly. 

“She still shouldn’t have left,” Yellow insisted. After a moment, she gave a reluctant sigh of defeat. “That being said, I know how stubborn my daughter can be. She comes by it honestly.” Turning to Bismuth, she added, “I know what happened was not your fault. I am just frustrated. I apologize.” 

Bismuth shook her head. “I should have been firmer with her. You can bet I’m not going to be letting her out of my sight any time soon.” she grumbled. “I’ll get her a leash if I have to.” 

Yellow smirked. “I’m sure she’ll be thrilled,” she drawled sarcastically. She turned, waving for the others to follow. “Come. Her room is this way.” 

Rose waved Bismuth on after them. “Go ahead and go back. You look exhausted. Greg and I will go pick up breakfast and coffee for everyone. Just get one of the kids to text us what you all want.” When Bismuth went to argue, she raised a hand, cutting her off. “Please, I insist.” 

Bismuth nodded. “Thank you.” 

On the way, they met up with a woman jogging down the hallway. “Hey! I was just coming to find you,” she told Yellow, a relieved smile on her face. She paused, shooting Yellow a confused look as she realized the blonde-haired woman had managed to find a whole entourage. She had pink hair, much lighter than Rose’s brighter shade. Like Yellow, she was dressed in more casual clothes, a large, pink sweatshirt and jeans. Her eyes were a bright pink and full of life and energy, despite her tired appearance. 

“These are Peridot’s friends. Why are you here? Is she awake?” Yellow asked. Lapis watched the taller woman, curious. She was an interesting enigma. It was obvious to Lapis that Yellow Diamond was a sophisticated woman who took pride in keeping herself calm. She was trying to keep up the appearance that she was in control of herself. However, if you looked underneath the surface, she was genuinely and obviously concerned about her daughter. 

This observation proved to be true when Pink nodded eagerly. Yellow’s perfect posture and stern expression fell as her shoulders slumped in relief, a bright, relieved smile taking root as she eagerly motioned for Pink to lead the way. She didn’t go as far as running to her daughter’s side, but she did move quickly, almost jogging behind her sister in her want to see her child. As someone who had loving, attentive parents, it lightened Lapis’ heart to see that, despite initial appearances, Peridot’s mother seemed to care just as much about her as Rose did about Lapis and her sisters. 

They hurried to Peridot’s room. Yellow immediately moved to Peridot’s bedside, wrapping her sleepy looking daughter in her arms and placing a kiss on her head. Lapis took the opportunity to look over her friend. She could see that Peridot had just woken up, the blonde looking around with an adorably confused, sleepy look on her face. The relieved, happy mood was soured a bit as she saw the bandages wrapped around Peridot’s head. Though she was happy to see that there were no longer any obvious signs of bleeding. Overall, she looked okay. 

Yellow suddenly pulled back, stern expression back. She glared down at Peridot. “You are in so much trouble. Do you have any idea how worried we were? What did we pay for those self-defense classes for?” she exclaimed. 

Peridot moved to sit up, but winced, reaching up to touch the bandages on her head. “In my defense, the clod that did this was attacked me from behind. Coward.” she grumbled. “How long have I been here?” She looked around, catching sight of her aunts, the Universes and Connie and her mother. “And what are you guys doing here?” 

“You’ve been here all night. We are so happy you are okay.” The speaker was yet another tall woman with long, light blue hair. She had large, sad blue eyes, which were full of relieved tears. Her hand covered her mouth, trying to contain her emotions. 

“Indeed. You gave us quite the scare, darling.” Lapis stiffened. That must be White Diamond. She was even taller than the others, with pure white hair. Her eyes were irises were a light grey, almost blending in to the whites of her eyes. This created quite the unsettling feeling whenever she looked at you. Lapis had heard stories of White Diamond from Peridot, and while some reassured the girl that the woman loved her family very much, others proved that she was not the kind of woman you wanted to cross. 

“We were just about to leave and we ran into Bismuth and she told us you were hurt! We came to see you!” Steven’s words came out in a jumbled mess as he rushed to her. Peridot’s baffled expression made it clear she hadn’t understood a word the boy said, but his tears and the strong hug he wrapped her up in seemed to relay the main idea. 

She hugged him back as best she could, patting his back reassuringly, if a little awkwardly. “Thank you for the concern. And I apologize for worrying you all. I’m fine,” Peridot reassured. At Yellow Diamond’s stern look, she shrank back slightly. “I will be fine,” she amended. 

“I think I’m more qualified to be the judge of that.” Dr. Maheswaran said, giving Peridot a small smile. She grabbed Peridot’s chart and began to look through it. ‘“Though I believe thanks are in order. From what my daughter tells me, you kept her safe. So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.” She shot Peridot a grateful look. Lapis smirked as the blonde girl squirmed under the praise. 

“Please, think nothing of it. I was happy to help.” 

“Okay, so it looks here like you were brought in with a head wound and passed out due to blood loss. You also appeared to have a concussion and some swelling in the brain. I’m sorry to say, but it looks like you’ll be staying here for a few more days,” Dr. Maheswaran said. 

Lapis grimaced as she heard the extent of the damage. “Swelling in the brain? That’s really bad, isn’t it?” she asked worriedly. 

Dr. Maheswaran smiled reassuringly. “She’ll be just fine.” 

Peridot spoke up. “She’ll also be going home today.” 

This caused a round of protests to issue up from the Universes and Maheswaran’s. Though Lapis hesitated when she realized Peridot’s family hadn’t joined in. They were eying Peridot worriedly and didn’t seem thrilled...but they also weren’t outright refusing her claim. 

“You were seriously injured. You can’t just expect to waltz out of the hospital the next day like nothing happened,” Dr. Maheswaran argued. 

“Peridot…” Yellow implored. 

“Mother, I feel fine. Don’t get me wrong, I have a killer headache and I’d definitely appreciate some painkillers before we go, but I’m okay. I’m not going to stay here and take up valuable time and resources that other people need.” 

Yellow and Peridot stared at each other, seemingly having their own silent conversation. Finally, Yellow Diamond sighed and relented. “Dr. Maheswaran will give you a check up and we will have x-rays done. If _anything_ even slightly worrying comes back, you are staying here. No complaints.” 

There was still some arguing, but in the end, Peridot got her way. Dr. Maheswaran looked over her. Lapis wasn’t a medical expert, but she seemed to be trying to be extra thorough. It seemed to take much longer than a check up usually would. As the doctor checked Peridot over, Bismuth went around the room getting breakfast orders. Apparently, Rose had been extremely adamant, blowing up Bismuth’s phone until she caved and told her what everyone wanted to eat. The Universe children were unsurprised. Bismuth’s politeness was no match for their mother. 

Eventually, Dr. Maheswaran relented that Peridot seemed to be alright, but took her away to take some x-rays. It wasn’t long before they returned. “So, what’s the verdict doctor? Can I go home?” Peridot asked. 

Dr. Maheswaran sighed. “My personal recommendation would be that you stay for observation. However, you seemed to have recovered rather quickly.” She shot Peridot a wary look here. “I didn’t see anything that would require you to stay if you chose to leave. I’ll go get your discharge papers.” 

Lapis approached Peridot as the doctor left. “Hey,” she said quietly. 

Peridot gave her a small grin. “Hey.” 

Lapis sighed, looking at Peridot guiltily. “Thank you for your help yesterday. I’m sorry you got caught up in this mess. And...I’m sorry that I left you behind. After I saw them take Steven I just...panicked.” 

Peridot shrugged. “Don’t worry, I get it.” She grimaced. “I just wish I’d been able to save him. But the important thing is that everyone is okay. Well, other than those crooks. I bet they’re licking their wounds.” 

“Bismuth said that you were checked into the hospital last night. What happened? I would’ve thought once the police came they would’ve taken you to get treated.” 

Peridot suddenly looked sheepish. “I barely stayed long enough for them to pull in. After I was sure those thugs weren’t going to get back up and everyone was okay, I ran to look for you and Steven. You had a head start though. I couldn’t find you. And I wasn’t exactly optimistic about catching up with a car on foot…” 

Lapis gave her a stern look. “You should have stayed and gotten looked after.” 

Peridot glared back. “You shouldn’t have run off by yourself after a bunch of criminals. They could’ve killed you.” 

Lapis relented with a grimace. In her mind’s eye, a large man stood over her. A gun pointed at her face and a manic grin on his lips. She sees his dead eyes staring back up at her. She sees tons of metal debris falling, ready to crush her little brother. “Okay. So maybe we both made some mistakes. I’m sorry.” 

Peridot shook her head. “Stop apologizing. What’s done is done. The important thing is everyone is okay. That’s all that matters now.” 

They were interrupted by Rose and Greg returning, arms full of food containers. As the scent of food permeated the air Lapis stomach growled, loud enough for the blonde to hear if the surprised chuckle that bubbled from her throat was anything to go by. She could feel the blood rushing to her face as she blushed. “Shut up. I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday morning.” she grumbled. 

Lapis heard her mother greet the Diamonds and turned to look at them over her shoulder, frowning. Once again, Rose had greeted the Diamonds with a sense of polite familiarity. She watched as the Diamonds greeted her mom the same way. A light touch on her arm brought her attention back to Peridot. The blonde raised a questioning eyebrow. Lapis just shook her head. Luckily, Connie chose that moment to approach the blonde, keeping her from questioning Lapis further. 

“Hey, Peridot. I’m so happy you’re okay. And I wanted to thank you...you know, for stopping that guy…” she said, fidgeting nervously. 

Peridot gave her a small smile. “Like I told your mom, I was happy to help. I’m just glad he didn’t hurt you.” She reached out to ruffle the young girl’s hair, earning a startled, but pleased, look in response. “After all, we’re friends, right? And friends are supposed to help each other.” 

Connie beamed in response, nodding along eagerly. “Yeah!” she exclaimed. Steven called for her attention, distracting all three. They saw him standing next to Greg, two food containers in his hand. He slightly raised one in Connie’s direction, smiling eagerly at him. She turned back to Peridot. “Seriously. Thank you,” she said before running off to accept her breakfast from Steven. 

Rose took her place. “Hello, Peridot. It’s good to see you again, though I wish the circumstances were different.” A playful grin spread across her face as she held up two food containers. “Though I think I can make them a little better. You two hungry?” 

Lapis eagerly reached for one of the containers. “Yes, please.” She grinned excitedly as Rose handed her the food, opening it up to see pancakes, eggs, bacon and hashbrowns. She scooped up a bite of pancakes, groaning at the taste. When she opened her eyes, she saw Rose giving her a wide, amused grin. Peridot was refusing to meet her gaze, a dusting of bright pink covering her cheeks. Lapis felt herself begin to blush. “What? It’s really good,” she mumbled sheepishly. 

Rose shook her head, obviously enjoying every minute of her daughter’s unusual embarrassment. She turned to look at Peridot. “Maybe we should leave them alone,” she joked. 

Peridot let out a startled laugh. “I’m sure there’s a broom closet somewhere.” 

Rose laughed. She wished Peridot well before retreating to stand next to Greg. He handed her a food container, complete with a kiss on the cheek. A smile spread across Lapis face as she watched them interact. It still amazed her sometimes that they’d been together as long as they have and were still just as in love with each other. It’s something that she hoped she’d have someday. She watched her father stand on his tiptoes to give Rose another kiss on the cheek making her giggled. She shook her head, amused. Hopefully not with someone half a foot taller than she was. She couldn’t imagine having to stand on her tiptoes every time she wanted to give her significant other a kiss. 

She turned back to Peridot. And was so happy she did because she caught the smaller blonde just as she took a bite of her food. Her eyes were closed, expression full of nothing but happiness and content. She chuckled before turning her attention back to her own food. 

After they finished eating, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl approached Amethyst’s bed. “Yo, Peridactyl! How you feeling?” Amethyst asked, grinning at the smaller blonde with her arms crossed behind her head. 

“Dr. Maheswaran gave me some painkillers, so right now I feel fine. Just a little tired, believe it or not.” 

Pearl stepped forward, expression serious. “I know you’ve heard this from a few others. But we wouldn’t feel right without telling you ourselves. Thank you so much for helping defend our family. Rose gave us some more details about what happened and if you hadn’t been there...we don’t even want to think about what might have happened. That many people ganging up on just Rose and Lapis with two children around…” Pearl trailed off, grimacing. 

Peridot sighed exasperatedly. “You all really need to stop thanking me. I helped because it was the right thing to do. You’re all my friends. I’ll always help a friend.” She shrugged. 

“Well, that works both ways. If you ever need anything, let us know,” Garnet insisted, the smallest of smiles breaking her usual stoicism. 

“Great! Serious talk over. So, Pear, since you’re all about helping out a friend, can help me with my calculus homework? I don’t understand a single thing our teacher is talking about.” 

Peridot gave her a wary look. “That depends. Am I going to be helping you, or doing all your work for you?” Amethyst’s face fell in a faux expression of hurt, one hand raised to clutch over her heart. “You wound me. I’m so hurt, I might never recover. How can you think so little of me?” 

Peridot raised an eyebrow, unamused. “I’ve seen your study habits,” she replied simply. 

Amethyst laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. “Fair enough. Seriously, though. I really would appreciate some help. I’d ask Pearl, but the two of us tend to bicker whenever we try to study together.” 

Pearl sniffed haughtily. “That’s because you never take it seriously. You always try to goof around and you end up distracting me in the proces.” 

“That’s because it’s so boring!” Amethyst whined. 

Peridot tilted her head. “Why don’t you have Garnet help you?” 

Pearl and Amethyst paled, and I could feel the blood drain from my own face. I eyed Garnet’s stoic face warily. I leaned in, murmuring quietly into Peridot’s ear so the others wouldn’t hear. “You don’t want to study with Garnet. She can be...intense.” 

Peridot eyed the three of us, face bewildered. She glanced at Garnet, opening her mouth like she was going to ask a question, before seemingly thinking better of it. 

We continued to talk for a while, even keeping Peridot company as she filled out the discharge forms. True to form, Amethyst tried to distract her and side track her the entire time, telling jokes and funny stories. As usual, she was particularly fond of telling any story that revolved around embarrassing Pearl. 

Lapis noticed the White, Blue and Yellow Diamond kept to themselves. They also kept a close eye on Peridot. She assumed they were looking for signs that her pain was returning or that she was getting overwhelmed. Other than that, they just talked quietly amongst themselves. Pink Diamond did not share their shyness/wariness of strangers. She talked animatedly with Rose and Greg. Lapis smirked, as it was obvious from her dad’s face that he was slightly overwhelmed by the bubbly, excitable woman. 

Peridot finished the paperwork, handing it off to Dr. Maheswaran, who offered to take it in for her. She sighed, sitting up in the bed. “I’m happy you guys came to visit me, and this is fun and all, but I should get ready to leave. I’m ready to sleep in my own bed. And you guys should get Steven home and get some rest. You look awful,” she commented, grinning jokingly. 

This earned her protests from both Amethyst and Pearl. Lapis rolled her eyes. “Well, not all of us got to sleep the night away, Princess. Some of us got woken up every thirty minutes.” 

Peridot winced sympathetically. “Ouch. Yeah, I think you’ve all earned a day off and some good z’s.” 

Lapis laughed. “Fine. But we’re coming over to check on you tomorrow. No arguing,” she replied, pointed at Peridot with mock sternness. 

Peridot chuckled. “Then I’ll be expecting you.” 

Pearl, Amethyst and Garnet said a quick goodbye. The tall engineer offered the girl a smile and wave as she wandered back over to Rose. Amethyst gave her a high-five, while also informing her she was lucky her head was hurt, otherwise she’d be getting a noogie instead. Garnet went with a simple thumbs up, something Peridot returned with a expression that was a mix of exasperation, bewilderment and amusement. 

After they wandered off, Lapis reached over to pull Perido into her arms, laughing again as the small blonde emitted an almost squeak in surprise. Her grin widened as she pulled back to find a red-faced Peridot staring at her with an adorable, dopey, slack-jawed expression. She placed a finger under her chin and winked at her. “Careful. Don’t want you passing out again.” Peridot ducked her head, but her wild hair didn’t manage to hide her somehow even redder face. Lapis moved out of the way to let the Steven, Connie, Rose and Greg say goodbye. She smirked smugly when Amethyst elbowed her as she caught up with the other Gems, commenting that she “broke Peridot”. 

Lapis felt lighter as they left. They still had to apologize to Archer. And they still had a long way to go before they made up for their mistakes. But as she took one last look at the still-blushing Peridot, she couldn’t help but feel warmth bloom in her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Let me know what you think about this chapter. I'm still not sure how I feel about it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I'm back with a new chapter! After way to long...I'm sorry. I reworked this one a couple times because I wasn't happy with it. Let me know what you guys think! Like always, I appreciate constructive criticism. 
> 
> I've also realized I'm one of the few people who bother with indents and that it would make posting on here much easier if I just didn't. Hope that's not too jarring.

Despite it being far from the first time that they entered Archer’s base, Lapis was still nervous. They’d been hesitant to go out tonight, it being only the day after Steven (and Peridot) left the hospital. But Steven had been insistent, saying they needed to go out and make sure that other families’ Stevens were safe. And just...how were they supposed to argue with that? Turns out, the only thing that could tear them from their brother’s side was said brother’s puppy dog eyes. 

She grimaced, silently admitting to herself that there was another reason she was anxious. It was the first time they’d seen Archer since their disastrous rescue attempt. And the way they’d left everything had been far from pleasant. The Gems had already agreed that they owed the other vigilante an apology and a sincere thank you. 

Two things she’d once again extended to Peridot when they stopped by earlier today, as promised. Steven had been given the go ahead to accompany them and they’d spent a good chunk of the morning and afternoon checking in and hanging out with the small blonde. She’d been ordered by Dr. Maheswaran (and her mother) to avoid any strenuous activity. Which was fine with the Universes (plus Connie) because Steven was under similar restrictions. Though that was more his overprotective family at work than anything else. As such, they’d mostly spent the day watching movies. The most notable thing that happened was Lapis and Archer getting into a, mostly playful, argument about which was the best movie in the Galaxy Battles franchise.

As they descended the stairs to Archer’s base, she sighed. She could have almost forgotten about the whole disaster, for just a little while, if it hadn’t been for the white bandage on Peridot’s head, hiding her stitches from view. An image of Peridot, hair and clothes stained red as blood dripped down her face, flashed through her mind. 

Honestly, she was almost glad they were going out on patrol tonight. She needed the distraction. None of them were really handling the incident well. Steven had woken them all up the night before, screaming from a nightmare. Lapis could relate. Every time she tried to go to sleep, she dreamed about Steven getting kidnapped or dying, or herself or one of the others getting shot. She had a feeling the others were handling everything just as well. 

Rose and Greg had insisted that they’d needed a couple days to process everything, but that they would all be returning to school and jobs by the end of the week. Rose especially believed that getting everyone back into their routines would make them all feel better. However, she was also making the rounds, making sure to talk through the whole thing with each of her children. She reminded all of them that if they needed to talk, they could come to her or Greg. Afterall, it wasn’t like they could go to a therapist. “Hello, I’m a mutant and my brother was kidnapped and me and my sisters almost died trying to rescue him. Oh, and by the way I have powers and I dress up and fight crime,” wasn’t exactly something you could just casually mention to someone. Luckily, they had each other. They supported one another through good times and bad. This was just one of the bad times. 

It was an offer she’d extended to Periot early today. The two had gone together to grab some snacks for everyone from the kitchen. Well, Peridot had tried to sneak off to get snacks on her own and Lapis had followed her, insisting on carrying them. It was as they’d been walking back that Peridot had brought the subject up.

_ “So, be honest, how are you really?” the small blonde asked. She shot Lapis a concerned look. “With everything that’s happened...well, I know it can’t be easy.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I know it’s not any of my business, but I just...I wanted…” Peridot groaned, obviously frustrated with herself. “I want to help. However I can.” _

_ Lapis sighed. “Honestlly? It’s...tough. Steven kind of woke everyone up last night. He had a nightmare. Not that any of us were getting very much sleep anyways. After he woke up, we pretty much gave up. We all got up and watched TV together for the rest of the night.” _

_ Peridot nodded. “I figured as much.” she replied. Lapis sent her a curious look and the smaller blonde glanced at her before looking away. “I didn’t get much sleep last night either.” She looked at Lapis again, turning her upper body to face her more as they walked. “If any of you need anything…” She sighed again, grimacing and grumbling. “This sounds lamer and less sincere than it was in my head. But I mean it. I really want to help. And my mother and aunts do too. We know how hard it is to recover from a traumatic event like this. And the ripple effects it can have in a family.” _

_ “What do you mean, you know?” Lapis asked. She allowed the concern to seep into her voice, letting Peridot know the question came from a place of worry. _

_ Peridot looked somewhat guilty, like she’d said more than she should. She waved off Lapis’ question. “That’s a story for another time. Let’s focus on tackling one thing at a time, huh?” she suggested, giving the bluenette a weak smile. It fell into a more genuine look. “All I meant is that we want to help if we can. In fact, Mother wanted me to extend a dinner invitation to you and your family for the near future. Connie as well, of course. To show our support.” _

_ Lapis gave the girl a stern look, letting her know that, while she was dropping the subject for now, she wouldn’t be forgetting it. However, it softened into a grateful smile as the blonde continued. “We appreciate it. And I’ll let my mom and dad know.” She hesitated, then continued, “We have a very open communication system in our family. If someone needs to talk, we’re there for them. And I want you to know that the same goes for you. You were affected by this too. Those men hurt you too. And Steven is your friend. So if you need anything, you have to let us know too.” She gave the shorter girl a look, trying to convey how serious she was. “And I want to thank you again. If you hadn’t been there...it might have been even worse. After all, you stopped that guy from hitting Connie. And you most likely saved me from a broken nose. Gotta protect the money maker.” She nudged Peridot’s shoulder, trying to lighten the serious mood that had fallen over the two.  _

The conversation had truthfully made Lapis feel a little better. However, it also reminded her how little she knew about her friend. At least, as far as history went. Then again, it’s not like Lapis was being entirely truthful either. After all, telling her friend that she was a mutant vigilante seemed like it go only slightly better than telling a therapist. Still, a large part of her wants to know more about the short, nerdy, adorable blonde. And, even more surprisingly, that sme part of her wants to tell said adorable nerd about herself as well. Lapis shook her head. That’s something that can be explored at a later date. Now, she needed to focus.

She looked up as they walked into the main area of Archer’s base. Only to stop once she caught sight of the rogue. Excluding the first time they had guided the Gems into their base, they’d always been prepared by the time the Gems arrived. In fact, Archer and Prism were usually already training by the time they arrived. 

Tonight was different. The rogue was dressed in a black hoodie and jeans. Prism was standing next to them, leaning slightly over then as the two looked at one of the computer screens. One arm was braced against the metal table the computer was sitting on, supporting her weight. The other was clasping Archer’s shoulder. It seemed like a friendly, familiar gesture. As Archer reached up, seemed to rub her temples, Lapis realized it was a sign of support, as the other vigilante was not looking at the computer, but the small rogue. Archer must have heard them come in, as they turned slightly in their chair. As they did, Lapis realized the rogue was wearing the same black mask they had donned the first time the Gems had entered their base. In fact, now that she looked closer, the whole outfit was the same.

Archer sat up straighter, turning in their chair to face the Gems. Prism also straightened. From the hole in her mask, Lapis could see that she was frowning. The bluenette winced. She hadn’t considered the fact that Prism might be pissed at them too. Though, if the two were as familiar with each other as she was beginning to suspect, she wouldn’t be surprised if she was.

She saw Archer’s head tilt ever so slightly. “What are you doing here?” they asked.

The Gems looked at each other, startled. 

“Um...we’re here to train? And go on patrol?” Pearl answered uncertainly.

“Why?” 

Amethyst awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. “Are you kicking us out? Because I know we didn’t leave on good terms and that we’d have to do some major groveling, but I didn’t know it was that bad,” Despite her attempt to joke around, she looked nervous.

“What? No! I meant, why are you here now? Don’t you think it would be a good idea to, I don’t know, take some time off? Process everything that happened?” Archer asked. 

“What Archer means, is we didn’t expect you to come. We thought you would want to spend some time with your family and relax for a little while before you jumped back into it.” Prism clarified.

Lapis heard Pearl and Amethyst give small sighs of relief. The taller girl fixed the two with a hesitant smile. “Ah. Well, crime doesn’t just stop because we’ve had a rough couple of days.”

Archer and Prism exchanged a look before turning back to the Gems. “I don’t think this is a good idea. You’ve all gone through a rather...traumatic incident. It’s understandable if you need some time. In fact, I think it’s healthy.” The rogue’s tone was concerned, but also hesitant.

Garnet spoke up. “While I appreciate the concern, we’re good. In fact, I think we would all welcome the distraction.” She paused, then continued, “Also, we wanted to offer our gratitude to you. And...we wanted to apologize.”

Lapis saw Prism cross her arms, her lips tightening. She winced. Ah. It seems like they had earned the large woman’s disapproval after all. Archer leaned back in their chair, head tilted in confusion. “And what exactly are you apologizing for?”

The bluenette was happy she wasn’t the only one shooting the rogue an incredulous look. “For nearly getting you, ourselves and Steven killed?”

“For doubting you when you’ve done nothing but try to help us?” Pearl added. 

Amethyst spoke up next. “For acting like a bunch of assholes?”

Garnet gestured at the others, but kept her gaze locked on the other vigilante. “How about all of the above. We have treated you unkindly and unfairly. We...I was scared. And I let that fear cloud my judgement, as well as the judgement of my team. First you found out our identities, then where our base was...your methods differed from ours and then learning you were part of the Nemesis experiments...It was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I lashed out in anger and fear and I am truly sorry.”

Archer stared at the tallest Gem. Lapis couldn’t see her face, but she imagined she was probably shocked by Garnet’s speech. A Garnet speech was an extremely rare occurrence, but it was something the others had seen before. However, that was the most Archer and Prism had ever heard her say. 

She took the silence as an opportunity to jump in. “I’d also like to apologize. Garnet is putting a lot of the blame on herself,” she shot the taller girl a disapproving look, “but we are all to blame. None of us treated you like we should have. We were afraid and we took it out on you. So, I’m sorry too.” 

“Yeah, we acted like dicks. We’re really sorry.” 

Pearl absentmindedly reprimanded Amethyst for her language before adding, “We were wrong. And we want to make it up to you.”

Archer sighed, shaking their head. “While I appreciate the apology, I get it. I understand the fear and confusion you must have felt. After all, how did you think I felt when four new vigilantes pop up out of nowhere? Then I dig a little and learn that they have powers? That they are or were involved with Nemesis at some point? I didn’t exactly act in a way that should’ve instilled any of you with confidence. Amethyst, you yourself mentioned early on that I was acting like an ass. And you were right. Believe it or not, you scared me just as much as I scared you. But I realized that I you all weren’t something to fear. That we could work together.” 

They shrugged. “Basically, what I’m saying is that we all messed up. I was going to tell you, eventually, about Nemesis and the powers. But I didn’t think you were ready. And if I’m being honest, I wasn’t ready either. I’ll be up front, there are still things that I haven’t told you. When the time comes, I will. Until then, I would hope you can trust that I’m acting in the best interests of everyone involved.”

They leaned forward, resting their elbows on their knees. “Now then, as far as patrolling tonight, I still think it might be a bad idea.” Archer raised a hand to cut off the Gems protests. “But, I can understand wanting a distraction. Unfortunately, I won’t be joining you tonight.”

Lapis eyed Archer curiously. “Why not?

Archer sighed. “I’m temporarily out of commission,” she grumbled, avoiding the question.

Prism stepped up, scowling at the Gems. “What Archer means, is they got injured during a mission, then pushed themselves saving you and your brother.”

Archer shot her a look. “Prism,” she warned.

“No. They apologized to you, but they treated my friend like shit and then put them in danger. You may have forgiven them, but it’s going to take more than some half-assed apology for them to get back in my good books.”

Archer leaned forward in their chair. “We all made mistakes and now-”

Garnet stepped forward, interrupting them. “No, she’s right.” She turned to solely face Prism. “We put her in danger. And apparently aggravated her injuries. And we will work hard to make it right.”

“Great. Now that that’s established, let’s get to work,” Archer grumbled, reaching up to rub their temples once more. 

Prism looked down at her friend, tone teasing as she said, “You just have to ruin every emotional moment you’re in, don’t you? Whether it’s good or bad.”

“I’m ignoring you.”

Lapis cleared her throat, bringing the duo’s attention to her. “Now that we have all the apologies out of the way, do you mind telling us what’s going on? Prism said you were injured…” She let her words trail off, raising a questioning eyebrow at the two.

Archer shifted. Lapis couldn’t see their face, but their body language seemed to suggest the rogue was uncomfortable. “Yes, well...I suffered a head injury while intervening in a bar fight. Holding the debri in that warehouse up caused extra strain that exacerbated it. I’ll be able to join everyone again in a couple days.”

Lapis frowned. “Seems like those are going around recently.”

Archer titled their head. “How so?”

“One of our friends was with Lapis and Steven when they were attacked,” Pearl supplied. “She was struck twice in the head with a pipe.” 

Archer nodded. “Ah, I see. I can relate. Some drunk idiot decided it’d be a good idea to swing a metal chair at my head. I had to stop patrolling, seeing as I was seeing stars the rest of the night.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did using your powers make your injury worse? It must be some side effect,” Pearl asked curiously.

Amethyst perked up excitedly. “And what exactly can you do? Make stuff float?”

“No, I can’t ‘Make stuff float’.” Archer replied, using air quotes. “I have the ability to manipulate metal, specifically. Which, yes, means I am able to make it float. But I can also reshape and manipulate it. However, I can’t create metal, like Lapis does water. As for side effects, using my powers excessively, or using them to manipulate a bunch of material at once, causes headaches. Straining my abilities even further leads to dizziness, fatigue, nosebleeds, and eventually bleeding in the brain.”

Lapis grimaced. “Damn. That rough.”

Amethyst approached the vigilante, clapping them on the back. “On the bright side though, that’s one kickass power!” She paused. “Wait, is that why you’re so good with that bow? You steer the arrows?”

Archer physically reeled back at the question and Lapis sorely wished that she could see their face. She had a feeling it was a mix of offended and scandalized. She snickered as Archer replied, “Of course not! That’s skill! Skill that I worked for years mastering, thank you.” She outright laughed as the rogue turned away from them, starting to furiously tap on the computer as they grumbled. “‘Is that why you’re so good?’ How ludacris...outright offensive…” 

Amethyst perked up again. “Wait! What about the hoverboard? Do you use it to stay on that?”

Archer, broken out of their grumblings, nodded. “Usually, yes. Just like Pearl, I have metal in my boots. I usually use my powers when on my hoverboard, though I have magnets built in as a backup just in case.”

“Hold on. Why don’t you use your powers to disarm enemies then? Usually, you just use your bow and arrow,” Pearl asked. Out of all of the Gems, Pearl and Amethyst were the ones most interested in powers. Amethyst thought they were cool, and Pearl was always excited to figure out how they work.

“Mostly because I don’t want to advertise my abilities. Just in case.” The somewhat lightened mood became heavy again. Archer didn’t need to specify in case of what. “Besides, I prefer not to use my powers. Overusing them can cause me to become vulnerable in a fight.” Archer stood, turning to face the Gems once more. “Now, you all have made some pretty great strides in hand-to-hand combat, so it’s time to move on to the next step. Don’t get too excited though. We’re not giving up hand-to-hand combat training. Now, go get changed. We’ve got some work to do.” 

After they got their gear on, they met Archer at a table on the other side of the room. Following her, Leviathan saw that some of the rogue’s various gadgets and arrows were spread across it. Archer picked up a few items, then turned to hand them off to the Gems. She handed Nebula a long, aqua blue staff that was flat on both ends. Purple Puma got a whip with a purple handle. Leviathan was handed two dark blue sticks about the length of her arm.

Leviathan recognized all of these. In one of their many training sessions, Archer had given them the chance to practice with different types of weapons, trying to see what suited each of them best. The rogue had helped them each choose one they liked, then said they would get them ready for the Gems to use. She didn’t realize this meant customizing them based on color.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the fact my potentially deadly escrima sticks are my favorite color, but is that really necessary?” she asked.

Archer shrugged. “If you have a problem with it, talk to Prism. She’s the one who designed them.” 

Prism gave a long suffering sigh. “I take pride in the little things.” was all she offered as an explanation. 

Archer gestured for Titan to come closer, grabbing her wrist as she did and attaching a device to it. “I decided it would be a good idea to give you a ranged weapon. As indestructible as you seem, I don’t want you to end up pinned down by thugs with alien guns without any way to defend yourself.”

“Are you giving me a gun?” Titan asked disapprovingly.

Archer moved her head back and forth. “Yes and no. It’s a blow dart gun. I’m developing a few different types of ammunition for it, similar to my arrows. For training, we’re going to use bbs. But for now, it will be loaded with blow darts when you’re out in the field. Blow darts that will be filled with the same drug I used to knock out that warehouse full of criminals the second time we met. Completely safe.” Titan still didn’t seem ecstatic, but she nodded her acceptance. “Trust me, if you find yourself in a similar situation as that night, you’ll be glad you have it.

“Now, for training today, we’re going to be practicing with these. Titan, you’ll be working with me. We’re going to work on your aim and what are the most effective places to hit. The rest of you will work with Prism and learn to use your chosen weapon.”

Lapis groaned. While she was happy they weren’t going to get punched and kicked today, she had the feeling they’d still end up getting their asses kicked. She was not looking forward to how sore she was going to be in the morning.

In the end, training hadn’t been as bad as she thought. Turns out Archer was much more cautious about untrained people swinging weapons around than throwing punches. They’d practiced on dummies instead. Though the mind numbing repetition was a challenge in itself. Leviathan had been afraid that Puma would snap from boredom she’d had while practicing tripping a non-living dummy with her whip one more time. Luckily, Archer had called for them to take a break before that could happen.

Now, they were heading out on patrol with Prism, sans weapons. Everyone agreed that it was a good idea for the Gems to get more training in with them before they were unleashed armed into the city. Before they could get too far, however, an alert on Archer’s computer when off. The rogue made their way over to the device. 

“Hmm...car chase. Heading down Tenth now.” Slightly more incredulously, they continued, “Apparently, one or more idiots hijacked a fire engine. How did they expect to get away with that?” 

Prism gestured for Leviathan and the others to keep moving. “They may be idiots, but they’re idiots behind the wheel of a twenty ton vehicle. We’ll get ‘em. Hopefully before they kill themselves or someone else.”

Archer nodded. “I’ll monitor the police scanners. Keep you updated. You better do the same.”

“Will do.” And with that the doors closed behind them. They quickly made their way to the roof and headed out. It didn’t take them long to catch up to the car chase. The fire engine was weaving all over the road. Leviathan grimaced. There was a good chance these guys were either drunk or high out of their mind.

Prism swooped down, slamming her shoulder into the side of the truck and redirecting it back onto the right side of the road just before it could crash into another car on the side of the road. Leviathan heard her voice come over the comms. “These guys are all over the road. What do you guys think? Quick or slow? I’d had to make emergency services’ jobs harder, but it’s a miracle these morons haven’t killed anyone yet.”

Titan spoke up next. “Prism, you and I are going to get the driver and passenger out. Rip the doors off. Between that and totalling the engine, I think they’ll appreciate that more. Nebula, get ready to grab the doors. Leviathan, Puma, you’re in charge of getting the driver and passenger.”

Leviathan saw Purple Puma change from a hawk to a pterodactyl. She moved into position as Garnet threw herself onto the side of the truck. The door gave like it was made of aluminum foil under her grip. She released it, trusting Nebula to grab it before it could go careening into one of the pursuing cop cars. The blue-clad vigilante saw Titan reach in and grab the driver by his shirt and jacket. She tossed him out of the car, Leviathan easily swooping in to catch the poor bastard as he screamed in terror. She would’ve felt bad for the asshole if he hadn’t made so many awful decisions.

She looked over to see Puma had the other joyrider by the shoulders. Leviathan saw him struggle and look up to glare at the purple vigilante. She watched his glazed eyes glower up at her. As Titan hopped in the truck and applied pressure to the brakes, they all slowed down. She looked over again, making sure that the other guy wasn’t giving Puma too much trouble. Her’s was too busy crying.

She was glad she did, because she saw the moment realization punctured through his drunk and/or high mind. His eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped open, though it seemed he was too terrified to even scream. She chuckled as she hovered over the ground, letting go of her whimpering cargo and letting him slump to the ground. He was too busy slurring about how he didn’t want to go to jail to notice the spectacle going on around him. 

As Puma lowered her burden to the ground, she saw that he had peed himself. Her amusement smile turned into a wince. She felt bad for the poor sucker that had to drive him to the precinct. He stumbled away from them, actually running towards the police, noticing their expressions ranged between grateful, amused and freaked out. Which was fair enough. Leviathan gave the officers a friendly wave. She chuckled as Nebula leaned the fire engine’s doors against the now stopped truck, calling an apology to the officers for the damage as they took to the air again.

The night continued like that. Generally speaking, it was a quiet night. They caught a few drug dealers, spotted and stopped someone trying to break into an apartment from a fire escape and intervened in time to stop a group of young teenagers from breaking into an electronics store.

As they patrolled, Archer’s voice came through the comms. “There’s a robbery going on at a gas station down the road. Two robbers, both reportedly armed with guns.”

“We’re on it,” Prism responded. 

They landed outside the gas station and waited for Titan’s orders. “Leviathan, Nebula and I will go in the front. Prism, you and Puma go to the back in case the robber tries to run.”

Prism nodded, eyeing the large men from outside. Both wore gloves, and ski masks, only allowing their eyes and mouth to be seen. Leviathan could see that one was pointing the gun at the clerk, who was trying to quickly put money from the cash register to a canvas bag. The other was trying to Thankfully both had normal, small handguns. “Try not to startle him too much. If we don’t handle this carefully, he might shoot someone.”

Titan nodded and they waited for the two to make their way to the back. Once they were in position, Leviathan and Nebula followed Titan up to the door. Better to let the bulletproof one go first. As, Titan moved to open the door, they were able to spot what the other gunman was aiming at. Lapis followed his line of sight to...a little boy cowering away, his mother stood in front of him. 

She didn’t remember moving. All she remembered was seeing the boy’s terrified face and then just...red. Lapis swore she blinked and suddenly she was in the gas station, kneeling on the man’s chest. Blood ran from the unconscious criminal’s nose. She looked up to see Prism hold her wrist. The larger woman’s mouth was moving, but her voice was muffled, like she was under water. As she looked around, she saw Garnet shielding the mother and son, looking down coldly at the criminals. She also saw Amethyst holding a struggling Pearl, though her movements were weakening as she watched. She saw blood on one of Pearls hands, an equally unconscious and bloodied-nosed man at her feet. Looking up again, she saw blood on her own fist as well.

“Leviathan! Can you hear me? Leviathan!” Finally, Prism’s voice was getting clearer. As her mind cleared, she realized Archer was also calling out from her comm. “What?” she asked uncertainly, stumbling to her feet and off the downed man. 

Amethy...Purple Puma, having finally got Nebula under control, guided her over to the rest of the group. “We should go,” she murmured, eyeing the other Gems warily.

Prism nodded. “Titan, let’s go.” As Titan refused to move, she approached the slightly taller woman, hand up in a peaceful gesture. She spoke quietly enough so that the civilians wouldn’t here her. “Titan, everyone’s safe. We have to go now. They’ll be okay.” 

After a few more seconds, Titan seemed to come out it, nodding and gesturing for Prism to lead the way. The burgundy-clad vigilante quickly secured the criminals. Then they left the store. Leviathan glanced back, seeing the young boy staring at them with wide terrified eyes. She grimaced, realizing he was afraid of them.

Once they took off, Archer spoke up again. “What the fuck happened in there?” Despite the harsh language, they sounded more concerned and tired than anything else. 

Purple Puma scoffed. “What happened is Leviathan and Nebula just beat the hell out of those dudes. Prism and I heard a fight going on and by the time we got there, those two were on top of the robbers punching them. Luckily, it looks like they only got a couple hits in before we got to them.”

“A couple unpulled punches from them is enough to kill someone.”

Prism gestured for the Gems to land on the rooftop of an apartment complex. “I think they  _ did  _ pull their punches. Might have recognized on an instinctive level they didn’t want to kill the guys. They were already starting to come back around when we left.”

“That’s lucky. What were you three thinking, barging in like that. You could have gotten someone shot! Or killed the gunmen!”

“He was pointing a gun at a boy.” Titan responded, voice laced with quiet rage.

“...what?”

Nebula snapped. “One of the gunmen was pointing his gun at a small, terrified little boy!” 

“We saw the gun and where he was pointing it and just...reacted. I don’t even remember what happened.” Leviathan added. Nebula and Titan lost some steam, admitting the same.

Everyone was quiet for a few moments before Archer spoke again. “Come back. You’re all done.” She cut off the three’s, admittedly weak, protests. “No! I knew this was a bad idea. You guys aren’t ready yet. Come back and cool off. Then you can go home.”

Archer’s POV

She blamed herself. She knew that she shouldn’t have let them out there. It was a bad idea from the start. They should not have been out on patrol...but she also understood the need for a distraction. The want to just forget something so terrible happened, just for a little while. She did the same thing after she returned to the city. But she also knew that letting that anger and resentment fester...not addressing the rage and the hurt...can turn it into something even uglier. She can remember what she was before Prism found her. Before the Gems entered her life. She would not fail them. She would not let them fall into that pit of despair, become that monster.

That’s why she found herself on the roof of her base, leaning against the doorway as she watched Lapis sit on the edge of the building, lost in her own thoughts. The Gems had returned a few minutes ago, but Lapis had stayed in the cramped basement only long enough to change out of her vigilante gear, insisting she needed some space. Archer had left Prism to help the others calm down. She had no doubt in her mind that the larger woman could handle it. She had experience dealing with cracking tough shells. Hopefully, she’d do them some good.

Archer herself did not have much experience in that area. That’s why she got one of the Crystal Gems and Prism got the other three. As such, when she followed the blue-haired girl up to the rooftop, she realized that she wasn’t sure what to say. What would help. 

One thing she did know wouldn’t help was standing there staring at the other girl. So with one last mental pep talk, she walked over to the other girl, sitting down on the ledge next to her. Where Lapis was almost curled in on herself, head hung and arms resting on her legs, Archer leaned back, supporting herself on her hands and looking up at the sky. 

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Archer nodded. “I can understand that. We can just sit here if you’d like. Or, we could talk about something else.”

Lapis shot her a wary look. “Like what?”

Archer paused, thinking quickly. She looked back up at the sky, trying to hide her hesitation. “Do you make a habit of stargazing?” she asked.

Lapis understandably looked at her like she had grown an extra head. “Not really?”

“I do. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I like to look up at the stars. It reminds me how small we are.”

“And you want to be reminded of that? Feeling small and helpless?”

Archer knew the bluenette couldn’t see it, but she raised an eyebrow at here. “I didn’t say anything about helpless.” The girl glared at her and she took the hint, dropping the subject and continuing. “But, to answer your question, yes. Maybe it sounds strange, but I find it comforting. It makes it feel like my decisions and struggles aren’t quite as big as I think they are. That even though I have so many people to save, so many people who depend on me...so many people that I care about, my burdens are manageable.”

Silence followed her admission. Then, Lapis leaned back, matching Archer’s position and looking up at the sky. “I never really thought of it that way. It’s a little depressing...but comforting too.”

“I know it’s hard to remember. But as much as your feeling...as much as it hurts and as overwhelming as it can be, try to remember you won’t always feel this way.”

“This feels awfully close to talking about it.”

Archer decided to meet her half way. “Like I said, you don’t have to talk to me. But you should talk to someone. Do you have anyone to talk to? Other than the Gems?”

“It’s not like we can talk to a therapist!” Lapis snapped. She sighed. “Sorry. Rose and Greg have both made it clear that if we need to talk, we can go to them. I know Steven has...but I’m not ready yet.”

“And that’s okay. You shouldn’t be forced to if you don’t want to. But you also shouldn’t try to run from your trauma. None of you should. As much as it seems like distracting yourself will make you feel better, it won’t. You have to face these kind of things head on. That doesn’t mean talking about it or dealing with it before you’re ready. But don’t lie about being okay. Not to others and especially not to yourself.”

Archer watched sympathetically as Lapis frustratedly ran her fingers through her hair. “But I want to be okay. I don’t want my life and my family’s lives to be put on hold because of those bastards!”

“Lapis, your brother got kidnapped. That itself is a traumatic event, but you also witnessed it and you were attacked too. Your family was attacked. No one is expecting you to just walk that off. No one except you. And you don’t have to put your life on hold. If anything, you should do the opposite. Go to school, hang out with friends, spend time with your family.  _ This  _ part of it? The whole vigilante part? Yeah, you guys aren’t going to be going on patrol again for at least a couple weeks. But you’ll get better and you’ll come back. And you and your family will be even stronger than before.”

By the time she finished her pep talk, Lapis was staring at her. Archer was glad her face was hidden, as she could feel heat spreading in her cheeks. Finally, Lapis smiled. It was small and the pain was still there. But it was genuine and it reached her eyes and Archer felt the knot that had been in her chest ever since Steven got kidnapped lossen a little.

“Thanks. That’s actually really good advice.” The bluenette nudged the rogue with her shoulder. “Have you ever thought of quitting the vigilante business and going into motivational speaking?” she asked jokingly.

Archer scoffed. “No.” she answered simply.

The two stayed on the roof a little longer, stargazing together. Finally, the other Gems came searching for their wayward companion, mentioning that it was time for them to go home. As they talked, Archer noticed that all of them seemed a little less tense. Like they weren’t carrying the weight of the world anymore. Everything was by no means fixed. But just maybe the task of getting there didn’t seem quite as daunting anymore.

Archer met Prism’s gaze, nodding in approval. She didn’t know what the other woman had said, but like she hoped, it seemed to have gotten through to the other three. Her friend walked up to her, helping her to her feet. “She looks better. A little happier. Good job.” Prism murmured so quietly, even Archer barely heard her. She just shrugged in return.

As the other Gems made to leave, Archer called out, “Lazuli!” When they stopped she continued, “If you need someone else to talk to, don’t hesitate to go to your friends. You might not be able to tell them everything. But telling someone something is better than not saying anything. The same goes for the rest of you.”

Lapis nodded and waved goodbye, the others following suit. However, all of them honestly seemed to be considering the small rogue’s words.

As the door shut behind them, Prism spoke up. “Don’t worry. We’ve got their backs. We won’t let them fall.”

Archer took off her mask, gazing up at her friend. “We can only do so much though. It all depends on them and if they are willing to accept help.”

Prism clapped her on the back. “That’s true, but from what I saw tonight, they’re pretty open to it. They’ll be just fine. It’ll just take a little time.”


End file.
